Like Our Lives
by Beledi
Summary: It's about five years after the Kishin battle, and new journeys begin for our group of meisters and weapons. This is a story about living life and growing up. Will contain massive amounts of fluff, angst, drama, and hilarity. Contains Soma, Croma, KidxLiz, hints of SteinxMarie, and some awkwardly adorable KidxCrona moments. Focus on Soma and Croma. Did I please everyone yet?
1. Chapter 1

Since I am writing this with the sole purpose of practicing romance for my actual novels, I have jam-packed this story with oodles of romance and fluff. Feedback is a virtue. :3

This first chapter is just setting things up. This is going to be a long but involved fanfic, so I hope you are in it for the long haul. It will also be a somewhat unconventional fanfic in a lot of ways. If you don't like what I am doing, you are free to move on.

ALSO: It is not my goal to portray the Soul Eater characters exactly as you remember them from the anime or manga. This is five years in the future, not in their modern time. I try to foresee what their personalities would be like after several years of development, so if you see some kind of character flaw, consider that it might not be a "flaw". People change, that is just the way of life.

* * *

(estimated 5 years after the Kishin battle)

One time.

Just one time was all it took. One moment of passion, one moment of lust. And now one moment of paniced silence...

Maka stared down at the little strip in her hand, unmoving, unthinking. All she could manage to do was stare in disbelief.

She was pregnant.

She had been feeling out of sorts in the recent weeks, some nausea and lightheadedness were the only two symptoms she experienced, and thus couldn't be too sure what was the cause. But after too long, she had to check all the options. This was simply the last option she checked, and the last she wished for.

Upon sight of the little blue line, she knew exactly when it happened. She reviewed the night in her head at light speed. Soul and her talked all night, had a big dinner, and then out of curiosity and in the heat of the moment, drifted into Soul's bedroom. Both parties reveled in the love making, but in the aftermath, Soul discovered a small tear on the side of his protection. While at first they were white as sheets at the discovery, they both played it off, telling each other that the odds of something coming of it were slim to none.

But something did come of it.

Maka flopped down on the couch and stared at the ceiling, eyes wide in disbelief. A million thoughts went through her head at once, and suddenly it felt like the weight of life was crushing her. What was going to happen to her career as a meister? How was she going to be able to work?

But one thought pervaded all. The thought of her parents, the knowledge that she had now made the very mistake her parents did when they were about her age, and the idea that her family crumbled in her youth and her parents went in totally different directions.

Maka began to feel sick, unsure if the cause was her last hideous thought or genuine nausea.

Maka wasn't sure how long she sat swimming in her thoughts, but it felt like an eternity before Soul finally returned from grocery shopping. He managed to open the door, hands full of bags, and began to unpack the goods as he maneuvered to the kitchen table.

"Hey, they didn't have any rye bread, so I just grabbed some multi-grain stuff," Soul spoke, engaged in putting things away. "Hope that's okay with you..." Soul's sentence trailed off once he turned to see Maka, stone still, eyes glazed over in what looked like disappointment. She slowly turned her face to him, her eyes meeting his.

"...You... tried the..."

"Yeah" Maka's voice cracked a little before her face met the floor again. She spoke softly, almost too quietly to hear. Her mouth tried to form words, but it was several seconds before sound finally managed to escape her throat.

"I... I'm pregnant..."

There was a pause, a deathly pause. What was only a couple of seconds seemed like minutes to both of them. As the words sank in, Soul slowly made his way to the couch and sat beside Maka, looking a tad bewildered as his eyes concentrated on the wall in front of him.

Some silence passed before Maka finally heard what sounded like a small exhale. Soul's arm found its way around Maka's waist, and he pulled her tight against him. Maka crained her neck to see his face, and to her surprise, found a big warm smile. His eyes were soft and conveyed his happiness as well as his grin. Maka's heart skipped a beat.

"This.. this is fantastic. I am going to be a dad..." Soul let his eyes drift away for a minute as he mulled over the idea. "Well alright."

Part of Maka was shocked. How could he react like this? Is this how he was supposed to react? Her head began to pound. "But... What about our-"

"I know," Soul stopped her there, his hand moving up and trailing through the hair on her shoulders. He knew what she was thinking. He could read her face like a book, all the emotions, all the confusion, shock and disappointment. Something deep inside him was also confused and panicked; being a parent was the biggest responsibility he believed one could take on, but he knew he couldn't show it. It was clear that Maka had only thought of the terrible outcomes that could sprout from this. Soul had to play it cool; he had to be the voice of optimism, of a bright future, even though Maka was usually best at it. He stared into her eyes.

"Maka, I know, but we are going to... be parents. We are going to have a baby. This is really... just so great," Soul let his head tilt back before his eyes met Maka's again. Now she was bewildered, and Soul could almost see her thoughts rearranging. Finally she spoke.

"You are right Soul, you are so right..." suddenly Maka's face was brightened, and she snuggled even further into Soul's arm and side.

Hours passed as the two of them talked, and by the mid-afternoon, no two people could be happier.

* * *

It was late in the day by the time Soul and Maka started to prepare a meal. While the first half of the day was draining and somewhat stressful for both of them, with talk of what to do about the pregnancy and what to tell everyone else, now the only emotion lingering in the kitchen was a quiet happiness that showed in everything they did. They walked softly upon the floor, light kisses and small heart-felt talks were frequently exchanged. Everything was moving so slowly, and it felt like the world could not be a more perfect place. They decided to wait till tomorrow to tell their friends (Blair would find out once she returned from work); it was better to finish the day with some peace and couple time. It was only once dinner was half way prepared that Maka let out a sudden gasp. Soul jumped to her side.

"What is it?" Soul's heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

"Crona," Maka's hands met the top of her head. "I totally forgot, I invited him over tonight..."

Soul's face twisted into a mess of relief and annoyance. "Jesus Maka, don't scare me like that.." Soul made his way back over to his cooking station. "When is he supposed to be over?"

"Around 7..." Maka kept her fingers interlaced with her hair.

While it seemed like a small event, Soul and Maka both knew his arrival would be bigger than normal.

After the Kishin battle, it was fair to say that Crona had a whole new set of emotional problems he had not quite learned how to deal with. With help from everyone, especially Maka, he was able to improve himself dramatically in terms of mental state, so much so that Kid allowed him to start working with the DWMA again doing solo missions (this didn't come without scrutiny however). He had become more confident and better at voicing his opinions. He was even able to overcome most of his stuttering and hiding habits.

He wasn't completely changed however. He still remained somewhat timid and fearful of most things and he was rather quiet around almost everyone. The changes in him were small, but they had occurred, and Maka and the group realized and accepted that overcoming such emotional obstacles after years of torture and mistreatment would take time.

In later years, something else began between Maka and Crona that many had noticed was a little more than friendship. While Soul and Maka had an obvious relationship going on in most recent years, Soul was very aware early on that Maka and Crona had a kind of connection that made them inseparable at times and incredibly close, perhaps as close as Maka and himself. At first, Soul didn't mind, but eventually they all had to talk it out when awkwardness and hints of jealousy met their peak.

Maka was quick to admit that she loved Soul. She was also quick to admit that she loved Crona, and that she wanted to be with them both equally. After weeks of discussing their weird love and talking about dozens of possibilities, they came to the conclusion that the only way they could all be happy was if they set aside the stereotypes and stares, and realized that people could be in love with more than one person. Crona, Soul, and Maka all accepted the idea that the three of them could be in a relationship without emotionally harming themselves or anyone else. Or at least they could give the kind of relationship a try.

And so, while Soul and Maka had been together for some time, Crona and Maka had also recently gotten together. It created what Liz and Patti affectionately called a "flirty cloud of awkwardness", and occasionally Liz would refer to it as "the most awkward polyandry relationship in existence."

Maka glanced at the clock continuously as she finished with the dinner. She and Soul both discussed how they should approach the subject as they prepared the table, and just as the food was being placed, a knock was heard at the door.

Maka froze, her feet felt planted to the floor, and only with Soul's quiet ushering was she able to move again. She reached for the door and opened it slowly, revealing Crona, notebooks in hand and at attention, his jacket a little damp from a possible rain.

"Hi Maka," Crona spoke softly with his usual timid smile. While Crona had slowly adapted a wider range of clothes for himself, many things about his appearance didn't change. He still chose to wear a dress-robe in battle and occasionally during the week. He still wore his hair somewhat choppy, with pieces of varying length scattered aside his head . And he still had that smile that Maka always treasured.

Maka was only comforted by his smile briefly however, and this comfort was quickly replaced with a clumsy set of the shakes.

"Hi Crona," Maka smiled as best she could. "Come in, we were just going to sit down and eat." Maka's voice wavered, and she was afraid he could tell. But he just smiled at her more.

"Okay," He spoke as he put his bag on the floor by the couch and his jacket over a chair. His voice had an air of innate nervousness. Maka was becoming uncomfortable. Could he already tell something was up?

A half hour of talking and eating ensued between the three of them. Not long after the meal, Soul pulled Maka into his room.

"I am going to leave the room for a bit, you have to tell him while I'm gone," He whispered, into her ear. She nodded.

"I know," She spoke softly into his chest. She knew she was dragging her feet, but she was terrified, terrified of what Crona might think about the pregnancy. The relationship amongst the three of them was already a little weird, throwing a baby into the mix didn't make it any less weird. But the main idea behind all these thoughts was the that she could lose Crona over this, and that was why the stalling had started. She knew she couldn't stall anymore however; she needed to tell Crona tonight.

A loving embrace and a kiss were shared before Soul and Maka went back out into the kitchen area. More talking amongst the three of them ensued, but it wasn't long before Soul gave the cue.

"Hey guys, I'm going to be in my room for a bit. Knock if you need me," Soul gestured a wave before swiftly disappearing into his room.

Maka and Crona stood at opposite ends of the table. The room was quiet for a minute as they cleaned up before Maka's voice broke the silence.

"Crona... there is something we need to talk about."

Crona wasn't exactly good with people; not because he didn't want to be, but because he never got the opportunity to be. To this day, he had problems reading gestures, faces, and tone of voice. But he knew Maka. He occasionally had trouble figuring her out, but if there was anyone he could figure it, it was her. And while he had no idea what it was, he quickly found that something was unusual about Maka and Soul all throughout dinner.

Even with this tiny foresight, Crona's heart began to pound.

"Okay... Sh-should we-"

"Yeah, you should sit down," Maka was quick to cut him off, and slowly directed him to the living room couch, where he promptly sat. She seated herself beside him.

"Is something...wrong?" Crona was beginning to feel a slight sweat building up. "If you don't... want to talk about it..."

"No, I have to," Maka was firm in this statement. Crona braced himself. Maka's hand found its way into his own, her eyes met his soon after.

"Crona... you know I love you... I love you more than anything..."

There was a pause. Crona wanted to reassure her that he knew, but he couldn't speak. She continued.

"Crona, something... has happened..."

Another pause. Crona fidgeted, and after about a minute, Maka got up from her seat and went over to the window, back facing him.

Maka's heart was beating wildly. She couldn't delay this any longer. She closed her eyes, leaning all her weight onto the window sill with her arms.

"Crona... I'm pregnant."

Usually people were happy about a thing like this, but Maka didn't sound happy at all. Her voice wavered, she was hunched over, she wouldn't turn around to look at him.

Why didn't she look at him?

Did she think he would be... upset?

Truthfully, Crona was experiencing a turbulent mix of emotions. He wasn't upset by any means, but he had no idea how to feel in that moment, and he certainly didn't know what to do or say. Over the years, he learned to deal with all kinds of situations, but this one was somehow different from them all.

He began to panic. It was getting difficult to breathe. What should he say? He felt like Maka was upset about the situation, and he wanted to tell her that he wasn't.

Maka had taught him many years ago that sometimes you should just say what you feel. Despite the undercurrent of anxiety that was flooding him, he knew this was one of those times. He clutched his arm nervously and opened his mouth to speak.

"Maka... it's okay..."

Maka's eyes flew open and she turned to him. She was staring at him now, surprise painted onto every feature of her face.

"... What?"

Crona felt his panic rise into his chest. Somehow, against his will, his feet began to move, and before he knew it, he was standing up. He turned to her.

She was expecting him to speak again, and he knew he had to. He had to reassure her that what he said was true. His eyes hid beneath his choppy bangs.

"It's okay... I..I don't mind. It's a good thing... right?" His head slowly lifted to meet her eyes.

She continued to stare. He couldn't read her face, but before long, it contorted into a mix of relief, sadness, and happiness. Maka finally crumbled, and she rushed to him, hugging him tightly and burrying her face into his chest. He stood stiff for a while, but eventually relaxed, letting his arms slip around her waist.

* * *

Soul tilted his head back against the door, still sitting against it. He rarely eavesdropped, but he felt as though this was an appropriate time to do so. He listened to them talk about the pregnancy for a while longer, and for several minutes, he didn't even think about returning to the living room. His thoughts were swimming,his emotions were tangled into to a mess of pure joy and anxiety, but he didn't wish to sort them out. The thought that he was going to be a father made him feel amazing. Even though he knew the road ahead would be bright and new, he also knew that things would probably get a little crazy.


	2. Chapter 2

This is a long one people. Again, more set up, but I think you guys will like it. We are going to get into the real meat of the story after this.

**Bon Appétit**

* * *

Maka and Soul arranged to meet with the group separately, Soul with Kid and Blackstar and Maka with Liz, Patti and Tsubaki. It was a Sunday, a day Crona usually spent at Professor Stein's house doing a variety of things with Miss Marie, and today was no different. Soul and Maka already agreed to meet up with him again tomorrow and tell Professor Stein, Miss Marie and, unfortunately, Spirit. They figured it would be better if he found out with Stein and Miss Marie there; maybe then he would have someone to calm him down.

The plan was set in stone; their friends would be told that night, and the others would be told the next day at Stein's place. By early morning, everything was in motion and all three of them went their separate ways.

* * *

The girls spent most of the afternoon walking around the area, talking about their lives and dodging in and out of random shops. It had been quite some time since they had all been together; now that Kid was lord over death, it seemed like Liz, Patti and himself never had any free time. Tsubaki and Blackstar were almost always on missions, similar to Maka and Soul up to this point, and so a meeting with all the boys or all the girls was rare.

Tsubaki had offered up her house for a sleep over that night, which no one opposed. After buying a variety of food to bake and movies to watch, the four made themselves comfortable at Tsubaki's, and by 7 p.m., they were already in their pajamas and immersed in random chatter. Even years after the battle, most of their personalities hadn't changed a bit. The same could not be said for their looks however. Liz and Tsubaki had acquired a look of maturity. While before many might have seen young, playful girls, they were both now strong and capable women with a soft sternness to their faces. Liz's hair had a more layered nature to it these days, but Tsubaki's long slick hair and clothing style had remained virtually unchanged. Patti was as spontaneous as ever, but much of her silliness transferred over to a playful mischievousness that often got her into trouble. Her hair had grown out as well, and she often wore it in a lose spiky bun with tendrils framing her face. Maka had grown out of wearing her pigtails and now often wore her hair in a tight or lose ponytail, though otherwise, she was unchanged.

As the talking and baking continued, Maka found herself becoming more and more uncomfortable. She was dragging her feet here as well, but now the awkwardness of holding her information in was sneaking up on her. In the middle of boy talk between Liz and Tsubaki and clanking dishes by Patti, Maka spoke up.

"Hey guys, there is something I have been meaning to tell you tonight."

The girls all gave her their full attention.

"Well then spill it, what juice do you have for us?" Liz sat back in her seat at the kitchen table.

"Bet it has something to do with one of her two lover boys," Patti's tone was a tad obnoxious, and received a disapproving glance from her sister. Maka lowered her head.

"Actually, could we all sit in the living room?" Maka was becoming tense, and suddenly sitting in the kitchen wasn't comfortable enough.

"Sure," Tsubaki spoke softly and directed the others to the living room, where they all promptly sat, waiting for Maka to speak. Maka stood still for a minute before she finally sat in front of them.

"There is a reason... I got you guys together tonight," She was trying to sound firm; she was afraid her voice was wavering. She paused, head still down. "I have some news for you."

The others looked at her curiously. Maka paused again, and Tsubaki filled the silence.

"Whatever the news is, you know you can tell us. Unless it makes you uncomfortable," She extended her hand and grasped Maka's own with it. Maka's eyes met hers, and with Tsubaki's gesture, tension in Maka's chest slowly began to ease. Maka continued.

"No, I have to tell you guys. Even if I..." Maka thought about her sentence, then began to rephrase. "I found...something out yesterday." She took her hand away from Tsubaki's. She took a deep breath, focused her thoughts, and lifted her head to meet their eyes.

"I am... pregnant"

There was a silence amongst the three of them, only stares being shared back and forth. Then a snort.

"Ha... really?" Patti was clearly in some disbelief about it; they all were. To this question, Maka just stared at her, then gave a small nod. Patti went wide eyed.

"Well shit."

"Patti, seriously," Liz growled, but her eyes never left Maka's face. "Are you sure? Like, you double checked?"

"I have never been more sure," An awkward lump of tension began building in Maka's chest again. There was another brief silence amongst the three, which Tsubaki, sensing some distress from Maka, filled it once more. A wide smile decorated her face.

"Congratulations Maka!" Tsubaki took Maka's hand back in both of hers. "This is great. I am not even sure what to say." Her tone was cheerful and this brought Maka's mood back up.

"Yeah, congrats, Maka. What an unexpected surprise. Do the guys know yet?" Liz spoke as she inched closer to Maka.

"I told Crona, Soul, and Blair last night. Soul is going to tell the guys today, and we will all tackle my father tomorrow," As she answered the question, she became less nervous. Though the idea of telling her father put her stomach in knots.

"That's all fun and good. Who's the dad?" Patti spoke abruptly, and Liz immediately turned to her.

"Can you ever not be so blunt?" Liz spoke in a playful manner, but Patti knew she was serious about the comment. Maka rolled her eyes a bit, but a smile began to tug at her lips.

"Soul."

"Thought so. I mean, can you and Crona even have sex? Is he capable of that or-"

"Patti, sometimes you should just stop." Liz spoke softly, patting her sister on the head. Patti rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright. So when did you guys, you know, do it?" Patti leaned forward as the last words rolled off her tongue.

"It wasn't more than three months ago that we had sex, but... yeah, our protection didn't work."

"You guys used protection and it failed? Oh man-" Liz was quickly cut off by Tsubaki.

"Well, something good has come out of it though. Surely you guys must be excited about this." Tsubaki's smile widened.

"If you plan to keep it, that is," Patti wasn't trying to be blunt, the sentence came out with the hint of a question. Suddenly Liz and Tsubaki's faces met Maka's with new looks of curiosity. Maka sighed a little.

"Soul and I talked about this last night. At first I thought about it but..." She paused to think. "at one point, that was me. My parents were about this age and... I don't know, I just can't do it." She ended the sentence with a small grin. The girls smiled back, reassuring her.

"Well, geez, I wish you told us earlier. We could have bought more stuff to celebrate," Liz said jokingly. Patti turned to her.

"Hey, it isn't _that_ late. It's like 9:15, right? We can still go out. WE SHOULD GO GET CAKE!" With the last exclamation, Patti leapt to her feet, posing like a Greek statue. Maka's smile widened.

"No, it's okay. Blair got a lot of celebration food last night. I am fine. Plus I haven't been feeling so good for a while."

"Ah right, morning sickness," Liz spoke casually, leaning back and scratching her head.

"I really haven't noticed you being sick at all. Have you been trying to hide it?" Tsubaki was clearly trying to think back and recall any time Maka was sick, but her puzzled look told that nothing came to mind.

"I guess I have been. You guys know I don't like to make a big deal out of those things." This was very true. Maka was never one to brag, make a display, or even have people fawn over her. She much preferred to suffer quietly than loudly, and she often insisted that she didn't need help with anything, regardless of whether she did or not. But the Liz and Tsubaki knew that she would need their help now whether she wanted it or not, and they had to make this known.

"You know, Maka, this is a big undertaking. We know you are going to need help with all the crap you are going to have to do," Liz left her speech unfinished, and without even a glance at each other, Tsubaki knew to continue.

"We want you to know that we will be here when you need us. You can rely on us for anything. And please, don't hesitate to ask us. We want to be here for you," Tsubaki spoke softly, calmly, and both she and Liz had on huge grins that slowly became infectious. Maka's heart swelled with contentment and warmth. She wasn't sure what to expect from the girls at first, but they were far more accepting than she thought they would be. She prepared to speak, holding back tears that had slowly been forming.

"Thanks guys. This... this means so much to me. I wasn't sure what would happen once I found this out, but you guys have all helped me see clearly. I know what lys before me, and I am ready for it, and I am... so happy you guys support me on this. Just... thank you," Maka was smiling the biggest smile of the night by then, and she quickly wiped a tear away from her face before anyone could see.

"Alright. Group hug moment. Bring it in, guys," Patti scooted forward and motioned them all in with open arms. They giggled, and raised their arms to each other, sealing each other in a loving embrace that lasted too long to count.

Before long, the four of them were back to their usual conversations, with some new topics mixed in. Men, baby names, future plans, and awkward relationships were all addressed throughout the night, and as the hours passed, conversation became more light-hearted. There were serious points of course, but overall, they stayed on the light side of topics. Before long, all were laughing and joking about their lives, and the night ended with exhaustion from laughter and a warm reassurance that their friendship was as strong as ever.

* * *

Soul was never one to beat around the bush. Even when situations were dire, it was in his nature to simple say things honestly. Sometimes, he just had to say something outright and not worry about what people thought, other times he was more careful but more forceful. Even when he thought back, he was often the voice of reason in many situations with Maka.

So with news this big, it is easy to think that Soul told the news almost right away.

He agreed to meet Kid and Blackstar at a nearby park at around 4:00 p.m. Kid was there at exactly 4, and Blackstar was late as usual. The three of them caught up with each other for a bit, telling tales of their recent chapters in life and their work. They walked around the park leisurely, but after about 20 minutes, Soul guided them to a nearby bench and began to prepare himself mentally.

Soul hadn't changed much over the years. His hair was just as wild, and his style was similar also, with the exception of some more formal clothes. His body however had become more "manly" as Maka described it. His jaw squared, his shoulders broadened, and he became toned from head to toe. Blackstar had changed almost entirely. His hairstyle was usually a high and spiky faux hawk, though on occasion he would let it hang down. He had grown tall, being the tallest of their group now, Crona taking second and Soul, Kid and Liz almost all tied for third. His shoulders became extremely broad, his body muscled and shapely, and he had more of a natural tan than before from being outside most of the time. His style consisted of mostly athletic clothing; loose-fitting shorts, running shirts, and often colorful basketball shoes. Surpassing god was tough work, and he dressed for the training. He was less obnoxious, but bragging was still in his nature. Kid had changed quite a bit as well. He allowed his hair to grow out two to three inches, the ends of which always stuck out in spikes and usually rested below his chin. He was toned, but still imperially slim, and his light body only helped him in combat. Since becoming the new Lord Death, he had grown far quieter and far more mature. He wore more formal clothing and mostly in black and white. He was easily the most reasonable of the boys, and these days enjoyed sitting back and relaxing on the rare occasions when he could.

There they sat, the three of them could not look more different, but they shared in conversation effortlessly. Soul let the conversation run its course for some time before finally breaking in with the big news in mind.

"Hey guys, I have some news for you."

"Do you now? What about?" Blackstar leaned on his knees as he sat, looking around Kid to meet Soul's face.

"Well, uh... it's about me and Maka."

Blackstar and Kid only stared at him. Soul rubbed his hands through his hair before leaning back against the bench.

"She's... she's pregnant." There was no sign of change from Kid and Blackstar's face at this statement, and that suddenly made Soul uncomfortable. Why didn't they say anything? Then it finally seemed to register in Blackstar's head what had been said.

"Wait... LEGIT? I mean, you serious? This is a fact?" Blackstar was growing more wide eyed.

"Yeah, we found out yesterday."

"Are you the father?" Kid finally spoke, and his words were slow and deliberate. The question lingered for a second, and both Kid and Blackstar obviously grew more curious.

"Yeah, it's mine. She has to be... two and a half months along now I think, because that was when we had sex." That statement lingered too. Kid and Blackstar's faces finally twisted into expressions of shock and surprise, and silence allowed them to mull the news over until Blackstar finally spoke.

"Damn, thats crazy! You and Maka? I always thought you guys were too responsible for that." Blckstar spoke enthusiastically, his hands flailing to emphasize his point.

"We were so careful, man. I used protection, she used protection. But both of them failed."

"How does Maka feel about this?" Kid still sat up straight, but his body turned to Soul, his eyes focused and serious.

"At first, it wasn't so good, but we talked things over. We are happy about it now, and we both decided that we want to go through with this... it was one hectic evening," Soul let the faint hint of a smile grace his lips before he turned his head down. Blackstar and Kid were almost speechless; this wasn't something either of them expected from any of their friends. But so many things were going through both of their heads.

"Well then, I believe congratulations are in order," Kid's shock finally dissolved, and he put an arm around Soul's shoulder. "How does it feel? Knowing you are going to be a father?"

"It's amazing, but also scary as hell," Soul spoke, half smiling. Thinking about it made him anxious.

"You guys only found this out last night? Are we the first to know of our posse then?" Blackstar was still quite wide-eyed.

"No, we told Blair and Crona last night. We are going to tell Spirit tomorrow."

"Oh shit man, Crona! How does he feel about all this? And Spirit is SO gonna kill you," Blackstar's enthusiasm still wasn't fading. But when did it ever fade?

"He seemed alright with it, but I am definitely going to talk to him about things soon. And I know, not looking forward to that," Soul again lowered his head, the thought emitting a grimace.

"Just be careful about it, you know Crona might not admit if he has a problem with it at first," Kid spoke firmly.

"I can't believe it. You guys havin' kids. This is crazy! I wasn't sure if it was yours or Crona's at first. GOD, this is something else! I had a feeling you were the dad though. Couldn't keep your hands off of her, could you?" Blackstar leaned over and elbowed Soul in the side.

"I just... it was in the heat of the moment. It felt right, I went with it. We were prepared so I... didn't see a problem," Soul sighed, and then slowly smiled. "But this is... I am going to take full responsibility for this. This pregnancy thing was a surprise, but I know I can be a great father."

"Well, we are gonna back you up!" Blackstar gave Soul's shoulder a couple of slaps.

"Soul, if you need anything, you know you can come to us. You are going to be a very busy man soon," Kid smiled at Soul, and Soul suddenly felt tension leave him that he didn't know was there. Knowing that the guys were behind him put him at ease, though in the back of his mind, he knew tough times were ahead.

The three of them spent close to three hours on that bench, talking about everything in their lives. The pregnancy, their relationships, their recent endeavours, no subject was left untouched. Before long, they made their way back to Kid's house, where they spent the night relaxing and celebrating the big news.

* * *

The next morning came too soon for Maka and Soul. The groups walked Maka and Soul to a meeting point, where they all met up early in the day. They talked among each other for a while, mainly about the news and what they had planned for the rest of the week. Liz and Patti still insisted on having a celebration at some point, which Soul and Maka finally agreed to. After final congratulations were given to both of them, and a big hug was given to Maka by Blackstar, the group all split, most heading home.

Maka and Soul began their trek to Stein's house, walking slowly, enjoying every bit of scenery they passed. Their hands were locked together in the middle of them, and while most of the time they didn't speak, loving glances were often shared.

"Quite a day yesterday, wasn't it?" Soul glanced over to catch Maka smiling.

"Yeah, it was great though. Everyone is so supportive of us. It's..."

"Unexpected? I thought so too at first. But it isn't really." Soul tilted his head back, gazing at the clouds. "We have amazing friends. I think we just let our nervousness get the better of us."

"I guess your right," Maka's smile grew wider, her head lowering to meet the ground. Soul took a moment to look at her and it was in that moment that his world began to spin. He was going to be a dad, _he was going to be a dad_. He kept hearing this thought and yet somewhere inside, it didn't seem to register. But in his heart it did, and he could no longer control himself.

In one swift motion, he swept Maka off her feet, holding her by her waist and swinging her in circles. She let out a surprised laugh.

"Soul, what are you doing?" Maka giggled. But he couldn't answer her. He held her up in his arms, kissing her, smelling her, taking her all in. Finally he put her down, and allowed his arms to wrap around her, pulling her waist against his. She glanced up at him and he leaned down to her, his voice a little more than a whisper.

"You are the best person in the world. The best thing in my life. You are everything to me. I hope you know that," Each statement was teeming with emotion, and he sealed the last words with a kiss. Maka returned it the kiss, taking a second to look into his eyes after.

"I love you, Soul."

"I love you more."

They stood there, embracing each other, sharing kisses for what seemed like hours. But after just a couple minutes, they continued on their walk, hands still intertwined.

* * *

Before long, they had arrived at Stein's place. Not much had changed about the house's exterior in these years, except that Miss Marie's small flower garden rested by the entrance to the house, giving the property a splash of color. Maka and Soul stood before the door bracing themselves until they finally were able to knock. The door was quickly opened revealing Miss Marie, as delighted and welcoming as usual.

"Hello Maka, Soul. How nice to see you guys. Crona said you would be stopping by. Come in, come in," Miss Marie motioned them inside. Soul and Maka slipped through the entrance and put their bags down by the door.

"Hello Miss Marie, how are you?" Maka spoke as she and Soul both received an embrace from her.

"Oh I am doing well, busy as ever. Here, let me call Crona for you. Do you guys want anything to drink or eat?"

"No thanks. We just ate earlier," Soul spoke casually, chalking up his lack of hunger to food and not nerves.

"Okay, I'll bring some tea out just in case. Hold on," She slipped into a back room, and before long, Crona entered through the same door.

Crona's appearance had changed very little with time. His hair was still of medium length with varying tendrils and it was its usual light pink. While he had grown taller, he was still just as skinny as before, with a backside that most people couldn't help but notice. He occasionally wore a dressrobe, but he had become a little more accustomed to regular attire, at least for every day life. He began wearing some form-fitting jeans and long sleeves with time and, with some advice from Soul and Kid, even incorporated button downs and sweater vests. He had only two pairs of shoes, his plain black battle pair, and a pair of plain black and white converse. His personality hadn't changed much, with the exception that he was more confident.

And there he stood by the door; converse, gray jeans, and a black long sleeve on his person. His eyes caught Maka and Soul at the door, and a tiny smile grew on his face.

All he could get out was "Maka" before Maka had run over to him, arms around him before he could blink. He hugged her tightly, and tensed a tad when he felt her light kisses on his neck. He returned a kiss to her forehead, and proceeded with her over to Soul by the doorway.

"How was your day yesterday? How did everyone feel?" Crona asked hesitantly. He was clearly hoping it had all gone well.

"It went great, actually, for both of us," Soul smiled, putting his hands behind his head.

"Everyone is incredibly supportive. We were a bit surprised actually. What about you? What is going on with my dad?" Maka was clearly nervous about the situation. She had become more accepting of her father as years went by, but there were many things she couldn't forgive him for, and she was still very uncomfortable around him.

"Well... I told Stein and Miss Marie what you told me to, and they thought it was a good idea to have a small get together. Spirit should be here soon...," Crona glanced nervously at the door. He wasn't very fond of Spirit for a multitude of reasons, and the thought that he would be at Stein's soon made Crona not only nervous, but almost defensive.

"Great. All according to plan then," Soul couldn't help but be a tad sarcastic. "Hey, if we sit together for this whole thing, I don't think I should sit next to you guys."

"Why not?" Maka was puzzled.

"Because I wouldn't put it past him to attack me or something. I can totally see him just lunging across the table at my throat," Soul spoke both jokingly and seriously. It was obvious that, even though he was playing it cool, he was very nervous about the confrontation. The three of them were going to continue strategizing, but Miss Marie and Professor Stein entered before they could get another word out.

"Hello Maka, Soul. How are you guys today?" Stein took off his lab coat as he entered the room. "So I here we are having a small gathering."

"Yeah, it was my idea," Maka spoke quietly. "I thought it would be nice. I haven't seen you guys in a while."

"Well, research does keep me busy," Stein plopped himself down on one of the two sofas and Miss Marie made her way to him, pouring him tea as he talked. "You guys having tea? Crona, want your usual cup?"

"No, I am fine. Save me and Ragnarok some though..." Crona tried not to show his nervousness, but it only somewhat worked. Crona, Maka and Soul made their way over to the couches, but they all paused before sitting. Soul's words were being tossed around in their heads, and the idea that the scenario told earlier could come true made them take their seats carefully. Soul sat on the couch with Professor Stein, leaving a seat open between them for Miss Marie. Maka and Crona took the other couch, with Crona sitting on the end. They hadn't been sitting more than five minutes when there was a knock at the door. Crona, Maka, and Soul froze, but Miss Marie was quick to answer the door.

"Hello Spirit, long time no see. How is everything going?" Miss Marie said cheerfully. Spirit entered the room swiftly and made his way over to Maka.

"It goes well, Marie. Stein, good seeing you too. And my Maka," He sat next to her, his eyes growing wide before he pulled her into an embrace. "I haven't seen you in so long! How is my darling daughter?" He let go of her once she began to squirm, but now had her right hand in his.

"I'm fine dad, just fine," Maka tried to show more of her annoyance than anything, and it seemed to work. As minutes went by, Spirit began to calm down, and easy conversation started up among them all pretty quickly.

A half hour in was long enough, and Maka spoke above the talking crowd.

"Excuse me. I ...have some news for everyone."

"News? Well, let's hear it," Stein spoke casually.

"Yes, what is it, my little flower?" Spirit chimed, directing all of his attention to her.

Maka took a deep breath. She began shaking, but she could feel Crona giving her hand a light squeeze. She looked to him briefly, his eyes watching her, reassuring her that he was there for her. She looked to Soul too, but he was facing the ground, most likely preparing for whatever happened next. It took her some seconds, but Maka opened her mouth to tell the news for the fifth time.

"... I'm pregnant."

There was a moment of silence, perhaps the worst of the silences yet. Miss Marie and Stein were prepared to speak, but their attention shifted to Spirit. Spirit at first remained motionless, but his face suddenly twisted into a weird mess of rage and frustration. Unexpectedly, he jumped out of his seat.

"WHAT? WHO DID IT? WHICH ONE OF THESE TWO DID IT?" Spirit yelled, almost blinded by fury. Maka and Marie attempted to force him to sit, but Soul jumped up before anything could be done.

"I did it. It's my kid."

Whether this was the right thing to say or not in that moment didn't matter, for the damage was already done. Spirit began curling in on himself, some form of rage taking him over. Miss Marie grabbed his arm.

"Spirit, calm down, be reasonable!" Marie frantically tried to reason with him. Stein stood up next.

"Spirit, sit down. Let's talk about this."

"Talk about it? TALK ABOUT IT? YOU!" Spirit pointed his finger at Soul, who stood firm. "HOW COULD YOU? What were you thinking? You little BRAT!"

Spirit tried to grab hold of Soul's shoulders from across the table, but was stopped mid-way by Stein. Arguments started among everyone, and before long, Soul, Spirit, Miss Marie, and Stein were all yelling at each other, trying to settle one another down.

Crona hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. He couldn't speak, couldn't breath, he just watched wide-eyed as the arguing continued. He wanted to stop them, but he didn't have the slightest idea how. Then he noticed that Maka was still next to him, but something was wrong. She was shaking, her breathing was irregular, and while one hand gripped his, the other had a death grip on his arm.

"... Maka? Are you alright?"

"I... don't feel too good," Her voice wavered, her hand slowly making its way up and covering her mouth. Before Crona could say anything, Maka was on her feet and bolting for the door to the bathroom, which she closed and locked with a clink behind her. Crona got to his feet and tried to follow her, but stopped mid-way, realizing he couldn't enter the bathroom with it locked. He wasn't sure what made her sick; morning sickness, the arguing, or a mix of both. Whatever was the case, Crona's frustration at the situation was slowly turning into a building anger. He wanted them all to stop; none of them had even noticed that Maka had left the room. He didn't know if Maka was upset about all this, but he was sure it didn't help. He had to stop this now.

"ALL OF YOU, STOP IT!" The yell was so unlike him that everyone immediately stopped. They stared at him, and in those seconds of staring, they realized what they were doing. Spirit's eyes went from being focused slits to wide and confused.

"Maka... Where's my Maka?"

Almost on cue, the faint sound of sickness came from the bathroom. Spirit's eyes filled almost instantly with tears, and he collapsed to the couch, his cries growing louder by the second.

"Oh god, I'm sorry," His cries were slowly turning into loud wailing noises, to which Miss Marie and Stein just sighed. Stein sat next to Spirit and began a quiet conversation with him while Miss Marie silently approached Soul, who still stood watching Spirit.

"We are going to have a talk with him," Miss Marie spoke in low tones so Spirit could not hear her. "He is going to want to talk to Maka after no doubt. I suggest you guys stay for a while. You can go in the other room for now. Help yourself to anything."

Soul simply nodded.

"Soul, I am sorry about this. It should not have got this out of hand. I will be back in a bit to talk to Maka about it. We want to talk to you guys later too. Congratulations are in order," Miss Marie gave Soul her best smile before seating herself across from Spirit. Soul then soundlessly made his way over to where Crona was standing.

Crona had his head down, his choppy bangs hiding his face, his left arm tightly gripping his right. Soul stood right in front of Crona and used his one hand to slowly lift Crona's face by his chin. To his surprise, tears streamed Crona's face. Soul's heart sank.

"Oh man, I am so sorry," Soul pulled Crona into a tight hug. Crona shook in his arms, but managed to speak among the sniffles.

"I... I just don't want her to be sad," Crona tried to stop himself, but to no avail. He continued to tear and shake, and Soul felt himself slowly tearing up too.

"I know. I didn't mean to... I just... I didn't want him to get riled, but I only made him worse...and I..." Soul released Crona from the hug and began to wipe away his tears. "Shit, I screwed up."

Just then the bathroom door opened, revealing Maka, looking somewhat disheveled. Upon glancing out on the scene, her face became somewhat bewildered.

"Did he calm down at all?" Maka looked about, then noticed that Crona and Soul had been crying.

"Are you... okay Maka?" Crona came forward, and Maka took his face in hers hands.

"I am alright, I just felt a little sick," She looked over to her father. "He didn't help either." Her hands dropped to her sides, and Crona and Soul both embraced her.

"I didn't mean to do that, Maka, I just wanted him to calm down" Soul's words were muffled by Maka's shoulder. Maka sighed.

"It's okay. I can't blame you..." She closed her eyes and listened to the two of them clearing up their sniffles. Soul eventually detached from the hug.

"Miss Marie told me we could go into the other room for now, but we should stay," Soul's voice was still a little shaky. Maka nodded.

"Yeah, let's do that. I know I am going to have to talk to him later. He just..." Maka looked to the floor in her pause. "I know why he was upset. I can't... blame him in a way. He's always been like this."

"Yeah, but..." Crona held back a sniffle as he detached from the hug. "I.. I don't want him upsetting you."

Maka simply sighed again. Her father upsetting her was nothing new, he had done that her whole life. With age, she had learned to emotionally defend herself by becoming somewhat detached from him. She was still hurt, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be when she was a child.

"It's okay, let's just go in the other room," Maka took both of them by the hand, and led them into a side room, where they sat together and talked about what had occurred.

* * *

The rest of the day improved slightly. Spirit eventually calmed down, and was able to talk to both Maka and Soul about how excited he was and how he would support them no matter what happened. Professor Stein and Miss Marie also congratulated them, and offered their help in any shape or form. They were all able to sit back on the couches and talk, this time without arguing, and their discussions about the pregnancy led them into the early evening. At one point, Stein even offered up giving Maka an ultrasound. Maka agreed but at a later time. The evening was ending on a good note, but this didn't change that it began on a bad note, and Maka felt uncomfortable for at least half of the time. She felt that getting her first ultrasound that night would have been too awkward, plus she wasn't too keen on Spirit being there for it anyway.

Thus the night ended far better than it started. Maka, Soul and Crona all said their farewells by sunset, and started their walks back home. Maka walked between the two, holding each of their hands as the three of them talked. They chattered the whole way, letting the stress of the day drift away, and only hopeful thoughts of future plans linger.


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHORS NOTES

Here are some things I forgot to mention in my previous author's notes. One, this fanfic doesn't necessarily take place after the show OR the manga. I am not sure which I want it to take place after, though I am hinting more towards the manga (or perhaps an alternate universe, hard to say) . Second, in all of my stories, Crona will be male. He will have a penis and only a penis. I am aware that Crona's true gender has not been decided and I respect that, but for the sake of pronouns and as my own preference, I pick male. PLEASE don't argue about it. Thank you. :)

And just telling you all again; as you can tell by the description, I have crammed this full of relationships. I am going to be doing a lot of experimenting, and some of the things I decide to do might not be conventional, but I am going to do them anyway. Why? Because I want to write about similar things, and writing in this fanfic will help me better understand the dynamic of all kinds of relationships.

You guys want to know something kinda funny? I am a HUGE croma fan. HUGE. But I decided to incorporate Soul into this because I don't have a good understanding of a Soma relationship. Through my writing, perhaps I can better understand it. Plus it really spices things up. :) So yeah, a lot of the beginning chapters will be a little more soma related, but croma is going to be pretty prevalent by the middle of the story.

Sorry, long author's note. Making up for the previous lack of notes.

* * *

Three weeks passed since Maka broke the news, and not much about their lives had changed since then. Maka and Soul were still doing missions, although both agreed that Maka should stop within the next two or three months. Kid gave them missions that were much less dangerous and rigorous, which Maka was only somewhat compliant with. Maka visited Tsubaki at least once a week, just to chat and hang out. Liz and Patti only freed up once during these weeks, but this was not unusual for them. Their life couldn't be busier, and Maka imagined they didn't have much time to themselves.

Soul's life also began to get busier. After the incident with Spirit, Spirit contacted him several times. Most of the time he was simply checking up on Maka, but that wasn't all he wanted. Spirit wanted to meet with Soul, and the two began to make plans to meet in the future. At first, the idea of meeting up with Spirit to spend time with him was ridiculous, but eventually the ridiculousness of the idea began to fade. Spirit was Maka's father, and even though he wasn't exactly a good father to Maka in the past, he was still concerned and he still loved Maka more than anything. By spending time with Soul, Soul realized that he might be actually mentally assuring himself that Maka was in good hands. If he felt Soul was treating Maka well, he might also be less bothersome.

So Soul made plans to meet with Spirit in the future. He didn't tell Maka, but he knew in time that he would.

This day, Soul was up early and readying to go meet with Kid. It was a formal meeting; Kid was at work, but that was just what Soul wanted to talk about. Soul needed more work, and with Maka soon to be out of commission, he needed to be sure that he could still take missions as a Death Scythe without a meister. Maka stayed over Tsubaki and Blackstar's for the night, but they talked about job plans all the previous day. Maka wanted to take missions as long as she could, but she realized that in her line of work, it wasn't possible to work long. Soul wanted her to relax as months went on anyway, so their agreement was fairly simple.

At around 8:00 a.m., Soul dawned his jacket and stepped outside, taking a breath of fresh morning air into his lungs. He considered taking his bike, but he decided a walk would be better to clear his head. To his surprise, he found Blackstar leaning up against the side of their apartment.

"Oh hey Blackstar. What are you doin' here?" Soul approached him, the two of them exchanging high fives before Blackstar began to speak.

"Nothin'. Maka told me you were headin' to see Kid today. Thought I would come along for the walk. I have some things to talk about with you anyway," Blackstar said casually, his hands in his shorts pockets.

"Alright. Once I meet up with Kid, though, you are gonna have to get going."

"I know, I was gonna go for a run anyway."

So the two of them began their walk. At first, simple conversation was exchanged. The two of them caught up on new things in their lives, and eventually, the pregnancy came up.

"Yeah, I don't know if Maka told you guys, but we got an ultrasound. She's three and a half months. Got pictures too."

"Oh yeah, she was showing Tsubaki those last night. I caught a glimpse, but it just looks like a bunch of discolored blurs to me," Blackstar said sarcastically, though Soul knew he was being honest. Blackstar's face suddenly became serious. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Soul shot a confused stare at Blackstar. "What do you mean? About the baby thing?"

Blackstar was clearly arranging his thoughts. "Well, here's the thing. We all agreed to help you guys, and we all will. But I want to let you guys know that you should rely on Tsubaki and me more. Kid is busy as hell, I haven't even seen him since we all chilled three weeks ago. And Liz and Patti seem to be just as busy. Granted, we are busy too, but they are WAY too busy. Plus, I could handle more work. You know whatever you throw at me, I'll tackle in two seconds." Blackstar grinned and flexed his muscles for the last statement, to which Soul could only laugh. Blackstar then put his arm around Soul's shoulder. "So, long story short, you need anything, you should let ol' Blackstar know. I'll take care of you guys. Tsubaki too. We wanna help as long as we are here."

Soul gave Blackstar a soft grin. "Thanks. I might actually take you up on that. I am going to see Kid about work now."

"You mean like Death Scythe work?"

"Yeah. You know Maka won't be able to do missions soon, I just want to make sure I can still do missions after that to make some cash. Crona said he would help pitch in, but I don't want him to do that. He already tries to give us money." Soul had a thought. "Hey Blackstar, I know you and Tsubaki were supposed to be stationed in Japan within the next couple months. You are still going, right?" There was a hint of uncertainty in Soul's voice.

Blackstar and Tsubaki had taken hundreds of missions over the years. They had dramatically improved their fighting skills, especially their speed and strategizing. Blackstar had matured with time, although he wasn't entirely mature, and Soul wasn't sure he ever would be. He still thought extremely highly of himself, and occasionally on missions he would blow his cover with an exaggerated entrance or a loud victorious shout. But Tsubaki and Blackstar had improved so much that Kid thought they could handle a change. A year earlier, they received word that Kid wanted them to be stationed in Japan, and they were both thrilled. It had been quite some time since Tsubaki had seen her family, and Blackstar frequently talked about living in Japan for a while because of his Japanese heritage. They had been making arrangements to move for months, and had almost everything ready to go, even though they were not to be deployed till much later.

Or at least Soul thought that was the case.

Blackstar smiled at Soul's uncertainty. "Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't know since we just decided last week. Tsubaki and I aren't gonna leave for another 8 months. We both decided this. Mostly because we wanted to be here for you guys. We talked to Kid about it too, and he didn't have any problems pushing the date back. What do you think? Gonna have me around for a while." Blackstar jokingly jammed his elbow into Soul's side, but Soul still looked a little bewildered. He was a bit surprised that the two of them were so willing to push their date back, especially since they were so excited to go.

But he was also thankful that they decided to stay a while longer. He knew he was going to need help as time passed, and he trusted Tsubaki and Blackstar to help.

A smile finally crossed Soul's face. "Thanks man, it means a lot to us. I am sure Maka was happy to hear it too."

"Was she ever!" Blackstar enthusiasm grew. "You should've seen the look on her face when we told her." Then Blackstar calmed for a moment and continued. "But seriously, we did this for you guys. You need anything, I mean ANYTHING, you tell me, got it?"

"Don't worry, I will," Soul spoke calmly, exchanging a glance with Blackstar. Blackstar put his hands behind his head.

"Good... so life any different for you guys yet? Think of any baby names? How is Crona doing too? I haven't seen him around lately..."

Soul shrugged. "Nothing much is different, but its a little early for change I guess. Early for baby names too, we haven't even discussed that yet. As for Crona.." Soul stared off for a minute.

Soul and Crona had a talk only last week over the new development. Crona continuously assured Soul that he was okay with everything, but Soul still got the feeling that something was bothering him. Crona was clearly hiding something, but Soul knew better than to push the issue. He and Crona had grown close over the years in an odd way, and he knew that if something was on Crona's mind, he would probably tell Soul in good time. He just had to wait, and Crona would find the right moment to open up.

Soul came back to reality, realizing his pause was too long for comfort. "He seems alright with everything, but I still get the feeling something is up. He'll talk about it eventually though."

Blackstar simply nodded. "Guess you're right. This whole thing must be rather odd to him. Plus, I mean, since you guys are all still together, is this kid going to call you both 'dad' or something?"

Soul pondered before his reply. "Maybe 'dad' and 'uncle' or something. Us both being 'dad' wouldn't work I think. But we should all discuss it."

"Yeah, do that. It's all so weird. I wonder if he feels weird about, you know, doing things with Maka now. Bet he does. I know I would. Doesn't it feel weird for you too? Sharing I mean?"

Soul shook his head. "It doesn't for me anymore. It used to though. A LOT. But these days, I am used to it. Plus..." Soul reflected back. "not long ago, Crona and I talked about this too. I basically told him that if there was anyone I thought Maka deserved to be with, it was him, and he told me the same goes for Maka and me. That conversation... I don't know, it just made it easier to realize that we could be one unit. That we could _share_. Before that, it seemed like a distant concept..." Soul let the words trail off, and his eyes began to wander to figures in the distance.

Blackstar's face relaxed. "Well, good for you guys. If anybody can make this work, its you three."

Soul chuckled a bit. "Thanks I guess."

The two continued their walk, but it wasn't long before they reached the steps of the DWMA. Blackstar gave Soul a high five and what the guys of the group called a 'brofist' before they separated.

"See ya' around! Let me know how today goes! And tell Kid to find some free time and hang with us!" The last statement only lingered for a moment as Blackstar began his run. Soul gave a pleasant sigh at the sight of him running off, and began his trek up the long stairs of the school.

* * *

A weird feeling of nostalgia began to wash over Soul as he made his way through the familiar halls. Every corner and classroom seemed to trigger an old memory, and this made him feel at ease. It had been a long while since he or any members of their group had taken a class at the school, but even with the passage of time, Soul had not forgotten what the school meant to him. This school presented itself as a new way of life and with time it became so much more. Thinking about where he would be without the school made him uneasy, but those thoughts were often quickly pushed into the recesses of his mind. It wasn't cool to dwell on the the past or what could have been; it is better to live in the now and experience life as it came.

As he entered the hallway to Kid's room, Lord Death's old room, Soul began to experience a different feeling. While previously he had experienced nostalgia, an anxious feeling began to stir in him. The hallway made him realize that, while the school had not changed much on the surface, many changes had been made to the inner workings. With Kid as Death, some major changes had been made to the schools rules, and much of the DWMA's policies had been altered for the better. These days, for example, it wasn't uncommon to see groups of meisters and weapons joined by witches. This was perhaps the biggest change ever made in the DWMA's history, and while it was received as both a positive and a negative by the public, Kid firmly believed it to be only a positive overall. The DWMA still had trouble with witches on occasion; hunting witch souls was still allowed, but only when deemed absolutely necessary. Changing history would take time, and while many challenges were occurring on Kid's watch, Kid was taking them all in stride.

Thinking about these policies only reiterated the differences in Kid's demeanor from past to present. It was amazing to Soul that Kid could handle so much so well, but in ways it wasn't too surprising. Kid was the organized one, he always had a plan and he always stood firm in his beliefs. Kid was perfect for the task he was fated with, and Soul appreciated how fast and well he took the reins of the DWMA.

These changes in Kid and the school played over in Soul's mind. He began to think about himself eventually, evaluating his life from then to now. Soul was often introspective; thinking through his life was not uncommon, especially in these later months. So much had happened in his life up to this point that introspection helped him relax and focus.

He remained lost in his own thoughts until he finally drifted into the Death room. The familiar mirror was on the center of the middle pavilion, where Kid, reaper cloak on and back turned, spoke to someone through the glass. Once the call had ended, Soul mounted the pavilion to address Kid.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything," Soul spoke casually, his hands finding their way into his jacket pockets. Kid shifted.

"No, not all all. We agreed to meet anyway," Kid spoke softly and with assurance as he turned to face Soul. Soul flinched.

Kid was wearing his mask as well.

The image Kid gave off as he stood firmly in the center of the room was incredibly powerful. When the cloak and mask were on, Kid was Death; he was a headmaster, the ultimate grim reaper, an undeniable force of nature. Seeing Kid like this still made Soul uneasy to some extent.

"Hey, listen. I know you are at work, but could you take off your mask at least? It weirds me out a bit, seeing you wear it..." Soul wasn't sure why it made him feel that way. Maybe it just reminded him mentally that Kid was ruler of Death now, and that thought sent a tiny shiver down his spine sometimes. Maybe he just wanted things to be casual. Even though Kid was Death and technically his boss, Kid was still his friend. Regardless of the reason, Soul preferred the mask off, and after a pause, Kid finally conceded.

"Fine. Sorry. I planned on taking it off for you," Kid carefully slipped his mask somewhere into his cloak. "I believe I know what you are here to talk about."

Soul let out a small sigh. "Yeah. You know I need assurance in the work area." Soul paused, looking down at his feet. "... I want to continue taking missions. Even small ones. It doesn't matter, I am just gonna need the money. We have made good money so far, and I have saved quite a bit, but I know I am gonna need more," Soul lifted his eyes, his face stern and his eyes focused and clear. Kid's face remained somewhat contemplative, but it eventually relaxed into a light grin.

"I don't think there will be a problem with that. I don't know how many more missions I can guarantee you, but I can easily increase your workload," Kid's grin tugged at the corners of his face. "You are one of my best death scythes, Soul, you know that. And you are certainly one of my most responsive," Kid's smile faded with the last comment, a soft exhale expressing his frustration.

Kid only somewhat remembered his father talking about his relations with the world's death scythes. He never remember the relations being optimal, but once he was in power, he finally understood how poor the situation was. There was a severe lack of communication amongst them, and many of them were impossible to contact. Assigning most of them to larger missions was also difficult, as the majority of the time, about half of them turned the missions down. Granted, they did their jobs and they did them well, but extra tasks were difficult to assign. Kid couldn't understand it, but he wasn't worried. A new generation of death scythes was coming forth, a generation with which he was incredibly impressed. They were some of the most talented ever seen in history, and their communication skills were certainly better.

Soul gave a light laugh at the last comment, a toothy grin crossing his face. "Well, don't worry about that now. I can pick up any extra slack."

Kid smiled and moved toward Soul until he was an arm's length away. Kid put his hand on Soul's shoulder. "I appreciate that. I will get work for you as soon as I can."

Soul shrugged. "Hey, don't worry too much. I know you are busy. We have money to hold us over for a while. Just need to start more work a month from now or so."

Kid took his hand off Soul's shoulder.

"Excellent," Kid spoke as he began to cross the room again. His voice was becoming more relaxed. "So how are things for you guys? I'm sorry I haven't been around much. Liz, Patti and I plan to be around more with time. I would hope that everything is going well?"

"It is," Soul reassured him. "Everyone is great. Maka is doing awesome. She still gets sick sometimes, but its fading, and otherwise she is super healthy. And Crona seems to be taking everything well too. We got an ultrasound recently. That was fun." Soul chuckled a bit recalling the event. "We will have to show you guys the pictures. Not that they look like much."

"I would like to see them regardless," Kid chuckled a bit as well. "You guys should come over within the week. I am sure I can find some free time soon. I'll have Liz text you guys. Would that work?"

"Yeah, texting any one of us would work. Or text Blackstar. He has wanted you to hang with us for a while."

Kid grinned at the Blackstar comment. "Then it's settled," Kid said firmly, gathering some of his books in his hand. "I hate to be off so quickly, but I have more appointments unfortunately. But we will hang out. And soon. We will text you."

"Alright. Try not to overwork. I'll walk out with you," Soul gave Kid a high five with Kids empty hand. Kid smiled, and the two of them left the death room.

They both walked together for a while, talking about random topics and catching up. Before long, however, they split ways, and Kid went off to continue his work for what would be another long day.

* * *

Back at Gallows Manor hours later, Liz and Patti were chatting away in the kitchen as Liz was putting away dinner. Liz tried to make dinner when she could, and she always made enough for Kid when he got home, whenever that would be.

Patti sat at the counter, telling Liz an elaborate tale that was supposed to be the story of her weekend. Liz listened, laughing and making sarcastic comments throughout as she wrapped Kid's dish. She placed Kid's wrapped plate in the refrigerator; noodles in a cream sauce and vegetables, all perfectly spaced and perfectly proportioned. And on top, a heart-shaped napkin marked with Liz's own personal stamp, a kiss mark in her favorite color of red lipstick. She smiled at the dish before closing the refrigerator.

"I am tellin' you, sis, you should have seen it. No lie. The crowd was HUGE," Patti stretched her arms out for further emphasis. "It was the best concert ever!"

"Sounds it," Liz said softly with a grin, picking her glass of wine up from the table. "But what does that have to with Doc? I thought you went with Alix."

"Oh, it has nothing to do with him. I mean, he was there. He showed up later on. That's about it. Probably should have mentioned that." Patti said shrugging.

Doc was a character that had only recently entered the life of Patti Thompson. Liz always said it would take a special man to win Patti's heart, and Dakota Maddox, or "Doc" as he was known by friends, was that special man. Patti met him at a nearby Deathbucks many months earlier, and they hit it off, though it took a long time before Patti started dating him. He was short, fluffy brown hair topped his head, and a naturally crooked smile was always on his face. He was a natural comedian, always playing pranks and making jokes. Acting like a goofball seemed common, and Liz theorized that it was simply in his nature. He was passionate and stubborn, and while this occasionally led to a heated yelling contest between him and Patti, they always seemed to work things out. Patti adored his enthusiasm and randomness, which easily rivaled her own, and while it took Liz some time to trust him, she couldn't think of a more perfect match for her sister.

"I should have guessed as much," Liz said between sips of her wine. She glanced at the clock. "When is he supposed to pick you up anyway?"

"Like now. It's about 7, isn't it?" Patti adjusted her spiky ponytail and over-sized hoodie, a hoodie Doc gave her to wear when she wanted.

"Okay, just be careful, and be back tomorrow at 11 a.m.. We have business with Kid at the DWMA at around noon-ish,"

"Oh I will," A wily smile crossed Patti's face. A loud series of car horns was heard only some seconds later. Patti grabbed her things and made her way to the door, Liz following closely behind her.

Doc's car was parked just outside the gate of the manor. He sat inside it, car running, eager to begin his night with Patti. Seeing the sisters walking towards him, he eagerly greeted Liz with a wave and a yell.

"Ah, Miss Liz! How are you this evening?" Doc piped as Patti jumped into the passenger seat. Brief kisses on the cheek were exchanged before Liz could answer the question. If there was one thing Liz really admired about Doc, it was his manners. He was always very respectful, and that comforted her.

"Same old. Busy. The usual. Enough chit chat though, I can tell you guys want to get going. Have a good one! You treat her well tonight, Doc," Liz shouted from the edge of the steps as she waved them off.

"He always does, sis. And if he didn't, there'd be hell to pay," Patti yelled, shooting Doc a loving glance. And in seconds, Doc's car was out of sight, and Liz went back inside to continue waiting.

* * *

It was a couple hours before Kid finally got home.

Liz was sitting on the couch watching a drama when the opening of the door was heard. Kid entered slowly and quietly, clearly tired from the days activities. Liz jumped up, greeting him with a warm smile.

"Hey Kid, I missed you today," Liz took his books out from under his arms and placed them on a nearby table. From there, her arms found their way around his waist, and his found their way around hers. The two shared in soft kisses for several minutes before Kid finally spoke, his hand brushing her hair from her face.

"I missed you too," His voice was almost a whisper. Liz's smile grew wider. After several seconds of staring into each others' eyes, Liz broke the trance, picking up Kid's things and heading for the kitchen.

"So how was work? Anything you can tell me?" Liz walked slowly, and Kid followed.

"Soul stopped by today asking for more work. It will be easy giving it to him, I just need to move some things around first. Otherwise, not really. You know I can't say much," Kid said, staring at the floor as he walked.

Once Kid became lord over death, he learned of an unspoken rule he had to obey. It was a reasonable rule, but on rare occasions, it made him crazy.

The rule was that he could not speak to anyone about his dealings with death. No one could know how it worked or what the process was; it had to remain a mystery to all. Only the death scythe, or in this case death scythes, could be there when he would deal out death. After all, he needed his weapons for some reaping; being lord over death still had challenges that he needed his weapons for.

He was allowed to say that he deals out death; he follows the rules of the universe and uses powerful forces to bring death to people. He was allowed to reveal that this force is constant, death is a constant and shares no bias in its choosing. But these basic facts aside, all other information had to remain a secret. A grim reaper or death god revealing the way of death could have serious consequence.

Kid's burden was thus a very hefty one to bear. On rare occasions it left him mentally drained, and with what little he could say, he would talk to Liz, who always made things better.

No wonder his father was always so vague.

"Don't worry about it, then. Let's just relax tonight," Liz said as they entered the kitchen. Liz took Kid's meal out of the fridge, unwrapped it, and placed it into the microwave to warm up. Kid plopped down in a chair by their table, quietly rubbing his neck as he stared into space. Liz noticed how tense he looked and made her way over to him.

"God you look so tense. How 'bout a massage? I am getting pretty good at this massage thing," Liz's hands began kneading Kid's shoulders. Kid tilted his head back.

"It does feel nice. Maybe we can continue this tonight after I eat. Where's Patti by the way?"

"Out. Doc picked her up earlier," Liz stopped kneading Kid's shoulders and retrieved his food. She took a seat across from him at the table. "You know, Patti is gonna to be gone all night..." Liz hinted with her voice as she relaxed in her chair.

Kid lifted his eyes from his plate slowly and deliberately, and in an almost joking manner, spoke in a little more than a whisper. "Is that so?"

"It is," Liz replied, her voice somewhat silly sounding. "I think we should... I don't know, take advantage of this opportunity."

"Maybe we should," Kid leaned over the table with the last word, and Liz leaned in to meet him.

"Fantastic. I think I should go get prepared," Liz rose from her chair and exited the room, shooting several suggestive glances at Kid as she exited.

Kid knew where she was going. She would head upstairs and not only ready herself, but his room. She had a knack for making things romantic, and he loved that. She would prepare his bead, get some music playing, light some candles, and start his hot tub/jacuzzi, completing the fixings of a romantic and relaxing evening.

All these thoughts made Kid anxious, and it suddenly seemed like he couldn't finish his meal fast enough.

* * *

END.

yeah, I made Kid have a Jacuzzi by his room. Why? because it is Kid. :)

Hope you liked it. Expect more. Sorry this chapter took so long.


	4. Chapter 4

CH. 4

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Sorry it took me so long to update and that this chapter is so long. I hope the goodies in this chapter make up for it.

Do full-fledged death scythes still eat kishin eggs when they destroy prekishins on missions? I was always curious about that... if anyone has an answer, please let me know. ^_^

* * *

The streets of Italy were dark, the atmosphere gloomy, only the lamp lights giving warmth to the stone streets.

In a nearby alley, the street lights gave shape to the silhouette of Maka, fully dressed for Kishin egg hunting, Soul slung across her shoulders in scythe form. She stood still, patiently waiting, taking slow breaths and appreciating the night air.

"You feelin' good?" Soul spoke, though he could tell she was pretty relaxed.

"Yeah. I am going to miss this. I hate that this is my last mission," Maka let out a sigh as she thought about it. She knew it was for the best, but she was a meister first and foremost, right down to her very soul. Not being able to take missions would be quite the bummer.

"I know. But don't drag this out too much. Crona's probably already finished his part by now. He text you yet?"

"No, but I told him to text me when he's done. I am sure he is pretty close to being finished too. Don't worry, I won't drag it out, as much as I want too..." Maka's eyes glazed over for just a second before she came back to reality. She couldn't give herself time to relish in the feeling of Soul in her hands or wearing her uniform. She knew the Kishin egg was close, and she had to be ready for it's arrival.

She slowly stepped out of the alley, now holding Soul at her side with her right hand, and faced the way of the Kishin egg. She could hear it, see it's soul, feel it's presence, and the idea that it would be her last mission for several months made these feelings almost surreal. Standing in the darkness, the wind nipping at her bare knees and forearms and gracing the edges of her long black coat felt so right to Maka. It was everything to her. So she knew she had to make this last mission count.

Suddenly a grisly, guttural sound came from the darkness of another alley. The sounds were almost as much gurgles as they were growls, but Maka stood unphased, eyes glued to the street.

Several seconds passed before the misshapen form of the Kishin egg finally entered the lamplight. It's face was half covered by what was once probably a mask, though it looked as though it was melted to it's face. While it was taller than most Kishin eggs, its arms and chest were slim and rested atop a disfigured mass of legs. The Kisin egg had clearly been working with other human parts, and had made many of them into a collection which it seemed to wear on its body. Mangled legs decorated its lower half, clothes and blood lined the seams of the work, and eyes of all colors adorned the entirety of the Kishin egg's body. And as for the creature's weapons, long and sharp knives, one for each of its three hands.

Soul couldn't help but smile as he looked over the creature before them. "Not too bad. A little on the small side, but still..."

"Yeah, not as scary-looking or powerful as Kid made it seem like it would be."

"Maybe he was just hyping it up so you would take the mission. We don't want you goin' too crazy, you know."

Maka smiled as she let out another sigh. "Yeah, I know. Let's just get going."

With that closing statement, Maka readied and charged at the Kishin egg with lightening speed. She was on the creature in seconds, using every part of Soul to block the Kishin egg's blows from its many limbs. She whipped the scythe around her, her moves flowing and powerful, and before long she had the creature in a trap.

The scythe swung beneath her, and after a block with the top edge of the scythe's handle, she swung the blade forward in one swift motion, taking off the creature's left-most leg and arm and leaving nothing but a trail of blood behind. The creature squealed in agony, recoiling slightly as it covered its bleeding flesh, but its energy still was not spent. It's remaining limbs were back in the battle in no time, catching Maka somewhat off guard. She took a couple swings before backing up a bit.

"Not as easy as you thought?"

"No, that's not it. I just don't want to be hit," Maka gave a wily smile, her hands gripping her scythe handle even tighter.

"Then hurry up."

"I will!" Maka lunged at the Kishin egg as she shouted, her stamina still as high as ever. Limbs came flying at her, but after only three blocks did she find her perfect opening. With a slight shift to the right, to the creature's wounded side, Maka put all her energy in for one big swing of the scythe. It quickly came full circle, too quick for the creature to even try to block, and within seconds the halves of it's body thudded to the ground before disintegrating into thin air. After the short struggle, all that remained was a small red soul, hovering just inches above the ground.

At the sight, Soul transformed with a quick flash of light. He stooped to the soul's level, examining it before picking it up.

"Another day, another Kishin egg. I guess I'm gonna miss this stuff too," He spoke quietly before he slurped down the soul in one gulp. Maka stood behind him, quietly thinking over the battle. A smile decorated her face, but her mind was elsewhere, lost in the thoughts of Kishin egg hunting. The touch of Soul's hands upon her shoulders brought her back to reality. He grinned at her, sharp teeth showing at the corners of his mouth.

"You alright? You look a little out of it?"

"Yeah," Maka spoke softly, glancing aside before raising her eyes to meet his. "Just thinking."

"Well, don't think about this too much. We are going on leave for a reason," Soul said, pulling Maka into a hug. She stood still for some seconds, then slipped her hands around his waist.

"I know," Maka let her head rest on Soul's chest for a minute before detaching from the embrace. "I should text Crona I guess. He is probably done by now."

Maka reached into her inside coat pocket to grab her cell phone, opening it to find one unread message from Crona. It was a one word message; Crona was not one to text, and he didn't really like texting when he could call or meet in person instead. Especially when it came to time with Maka.

"He text you?"

"Yup. Just the word 'done'. I'll call him and ask where he is. He's probably close by, we can find a halfway point to meet."

Maka then dialed Crona's number and waited, Soul standing next to her, though his attention was directed to a pebble he was kicking on the ground. She waited and waited, but the phone continued to ring.

No answer.

Maka snapped the phone shut as the call went to voice mail, to which Soul perked up. "He didn't answer?"

"No," Maka's face had become somewhat stern. Soul sighed, but his grin came back in seconds.

"Don't get all anxious so quickly. He might just be takin' a leak or something. Use your soul perception if you are that worried."

Maka relaxed at the mention of her soul perception. "Your right. I didn't even think of that."

With her head clear, and Soul beside her, Maka was able to use her soul perception flawlessly. Crona was nearby, within walking distance, and this eased Maka's tension.

"He's close, isn't he?"

"Yeah, a few blocks. Let's just head over to him," Maka turned to Soul, a small grin on her face. Soul grabbed her hand, his fingers interlocking with hers.

"That's better. No anxiety or sadness tonight, alright? We had a good and easy fight, got a lovely little Kishin egg out of it too. We may be takin' a break, but it marks the beginning of the beginning in a way," Soul spoke softly as the two began to slowly walk along.

"Oh I'm not really sad, just... I don't know. I will just miss it for a while. But of course that's no big deal," Maka piped, her face turning to meet Soul's. Soul returned the smile before facing ahead again, taking easy strides in rhythm with Maka's own. There was silence for almost two blocks in which Soul planted several surprises kisses on Maka's cheek and random times. Maka would only giggle and try to return a quick kiss in response, making the loving gestures a game. After some back-and-forth kisses, Soul chuckled a bit, then relaxed even further as he continued along.

"So... four months. Seems like just yesterday we told everyone about it."

"Yeah," Maka's voice was soft and low. "It's going by kinda fast. Maybe a little too fast."

Soul heard an unusual flicker of emotion in her last statement. Was it anxiety? Anticipation? The statement went by too fast for him to tell. Regardless of what it was, he wanted her to be happy tonight; if there was an issue, he would make plans to talk to her about it later.

He squeezed her hand in response. "Don't worry. I think things will slow down now that we aren't taking missions."

"Probably a little too much," Maka said with a smile and a light laugh. "I am probably going to be a little bored."

"No you won't. All you do is read anyway. That's already pretty bor-" And before Soul could finish, a several pound book cut through the air and collided with his skull. He straightened his hunched form back up to meet Maka's eyes. "Hey, I was only joking!"

"Didn't sound very joking to me," Maka's look was serious, her hands pressed firmly on her hips, the big green book still in her right hand. Her stern face eventually became happier however, and she began to walk ahead of him. "Next time, don't even bother making one of your terrible jokes. Now come on, Crona should be around this corner somewhere."

"Hey, it wasn't gonna be terrible. It probably would've been funny if you hadn't hit me first. You should have waited for the punch line," Soul spoke only somewhat jokingly as he jogged to catch up with Maka. She only smiled at him.

"I didn't need to hear the punch line to know it was going to be terrible."

Soul was about to add more to his defense when the two caught sight of a familiar figure in an alley they walked by. The fluff of pink hair was unmistakable.

"Crona, we knew you'd be-" Maka stopped abruptly, her eyes wide and focused on the figure not more than 30 feet in front of her. Soul's confusion piqued.

"What? What is it?" Soul then angled himself next to Maka to better see down the alley. It was hard to see through the darkness, but the image eventually became clear.

Crona stood in the very center of the alley, facing one wall as his head met the ground. He was barely moving, but Soul could see by the little light from the streetlamps that he was surrounded by a pool of his own blood. It seemed as though it was slightly moving around him, but Soul couldn't tell if it was real or his sudden anxiety playing tricks on him.

Maka felt her heart pounding in her chest. Crona couldn't be in this state again; he hadn't had an incident in at least a year. But the image of him standing in the alley, drenched in his own blood, was more evidence than Maka needed.

Still, she needed to be sure.

Maka took a small step forward, her mouth forming words to prepare to address him. Her breathing steadied, and her words came out confident and firm. "Crona... Are you alright?"

He didn't move, didn't budge; it was as if the words didn't even reach his ears. He simply continued to stare at the ground, surrounded by his own madness.

The lack of response was all Maka needed. She knew what was wrong, she knew what she needed to do.

She knew he had seen her.

* * *

Several months after the Kishin battle, Crona began receiving regular talk therapy with Stein or Miss Marie. These talk sessions helped heal many of Crona's problems, but there was one issue that went deep into the subconscious of Crona's mind, an issue that only time and inner contentment could heal.

On occasion, although the incidents became more scarce with time as predicted, Crona would feel as though he was actually seeing Medusa. Stein explained that, while this Medusa was only a hallucination brought on by Crona's subconscious mind, it felt as real to Crona as an actual human being. She could appear anywhere and at any time, and while Stein tried to find a connection with the hallucination and an outside force, nothing suggested that it had a trigger.

It wasn't often Crona would see Medusa, but when he did, the effects were crippling. On a small scale, he would get a terrible case of the shakes, break out into a cold sweat, and even possibly begin to converse with the hallucination. But on a large scale, there was no telling what he would do.

With every incident, Kid had to file a report that was put into Crona's permanent record. Kid allowed Crona to take missions even after the incidents, but for safety of others and Crona himself, a mandatory 4 month waiting period was employed after every incident. Even after that, Crona was required to take his first several missions with others so that he could be monitored. Crona understood these measures however, and always acknowledged that he needed the wait.

Moments of hallucination occurred three times after the Kishin battle, though Crona had been experiencing them well before then. The first time, Maka was present, and was able to snap him out of it before he dove into insanity, which Stein theorized was a possible side effect if Crona's hallucination state was left untreated for a long period of time. The second time, Kid was able to bring Crona back to reality, though Crona did destroy a small building before snapping out of his state. Maka snapped Crona out of it the final time as well, though it took some hours of talking and Soul nearly went mad in the process.

Now, Crona stood before them, drenched in his own blood, absorbed in a world of inner torment for the fourth time.

* * *

Maka began to sweat. She wasn't sure how long he had been gone like this, but his text arrived over a half hour ago. Panic began to rise into her chest, she knew had to act quick before he slipped away completely.

Without thinking, she began to take slow steps forward. She didn't take more than three steps before Soul grabbed her arm and pulled it back towards himself.

"Maka, no! Hell no. You are not going to get close to him. I won't allow it."

"But Soul I have to!" She turned to him abruptly, her eyes wide and almost tearing. "We don't have much time. I can pull him out of this, I have to before he-"

"Before he what? Hurts someone? Destroys something? What if its you, Maka?" Soul's voice conveyed his fear and distress. He pulled Maka closer and gripped her firmly by her shoulders. "Maka, I can't let you get close to him. We could call Ki-"

"Soul, you know we can't do that!" Maka's voice began to show hints of anger. "We can't wait. The longer we wait, the worse he will get. We can get him out now if-"

"Maka, no! This is the one thing I am going to stop you on! You are not getting close to him! You could get hurt, our baby could get hurt! Don't you see that?"

"You don't think I know that?" Tears showed at the corners of Maka's worried eyes, though Soul wasn't sure if they were tears of sadness or anger. She began to shake. "I-"

Just as Maka began to speak, both of them heard a faint but familiar sound from the alley. They both turned, focused and quiet, to hear a familiar voice coming from Crona.

"You hear me yet? Jesus, you two should stop having a fuckin' screaming match. I am trying to talk here!"

Maka's panic eased only slightly, but her anxiety rose even further. Through a lump in her throat, she spoke out.

"Ragnarok... is that you?"

"No, its the pope. Who else would it be, cow? Not so smart when your all flustered, huh?"

Soul and Maka heard Ragnarok's voice loud and clear now, though they couldn't see his form. Since the Kishin battle, Ragarok had gained a massive amount of power. His form, when he decided to appear, was huge and because of this, he spent most of the time in Crona. Appearing constantly was a hindrance to him as well as Crona, and while Ragnarok wasn't one to care, using energy to pop in and out of Crona's body started becoming a problem. Besides, he was perfectly fine with making commentary from within Crona.

Hearing Ragnarok's voice was like a gift from God to Maka. Without even thinking, she frantically began asking questions.

"What's going on? How did this happen?" Maka steadied her voice as best she could.

"Like a half hour. I tried snapping him out of it, but... yeah."

Maka winced at Ragnarok's words. "Is... are we too late?"

"Maybe," Ragnarok said it sarcastically, but it was obvious he didn't know the answer himself. "Thing is, I know regardless of how much of a know-it-all princess you are, he might actually snap out of it if you try."

"But I-"

"I wasn't done talking! Geez, can't you ever wait? I am trying to say that I won't snap. If Crona tells me to do something, I can try and talk him out of it."

At his words, Maka and Soul both became confused.

"Do you even have a choice in that?" Soul spoke, curiosity lacing his voice. He took a step forward until he was next to Maka again.

"Depends on what you guys do to try and wake him up. Don't you get it? I am trying to give you a chance to wake him up! I will hold him back. Damn, you people are a bunch of idiots sometimes."

Ragnarok's words lingered in the air for several seconds before they sunk in. Maka then turned to face Soul. Her eyes conveyed worry, but were also focused and clear.

"We... we have to try."

"Listen Maka," Soul pulled Maka close to him, his head resting on hers. "I really don't want you to do this. I can't even tell you how I feel about it. You can try... to snap him out of it. But... five minutes. We can try for five minutes."

"That's not enough ti-"

"Maka, I know it might not be," Soul's voice began to waver. "But I don't know what will happen to us if we try longer. We don't know how much blood he has lost. I don't want his madness to... I can't have you or our kid getting hurt." A whole mix of emotions made Soul's voice shaky.

Maka could feel his ragged breathing on her neck. She knew Soul was right, she knew they couldn't stay around Crona for too long. They didn't have much time, and she knew that, if they failed at snapping him out of out, Crona might be lost in his own madness for months or even years. Her head was pounding, her thoughts were swimming, but they had to act fast.

Maka removed herself from Soul's embrace, and lifted his head to meet his eyes. She did her best to smile and him, and he gave a weak smile back.

"God, you are so stubborn," Soul said through a lump in his throat. Maka's smile grew even wider.

"Don't worry Soul, we won't be long. If anything starts to go wrong, we will get out of there. I promise. I... I will be the first one out."

Soul clearly relaxed his shoulders at her last statement. "Okay, and I will make sure of that. "

The two then exchanged a kiss before Maka addressed Ragnarok for another time. "Thank you, Ragnarok..."

"More like thank you very much!"

With that, Soul and Maka clasped hands and began to slowly make their way toward Crona. What was only about 25 feet felt like a mile to both Soul and Maka. Each step was slow and deliberate, their feet making little to no noise as they touched the ground. Before long, they were only three feet away from Crona, and which point Maka spoke, calmly and assuredly.

"Crona... can you hear me?"

At first, no sound was heard, but after some seconds, Maka could see Crona start to shake.

"Crona, it's alright. It's me, Maka."

Crona still didn't respond, but his head raised slightly. Maka could almost catch a glimpse of one of his eyes.

"I am here to help you, Crona. Tell me what happened."

The sentence lingered for about a minute before the faint sound that was Crona's voice was heard.

"Maka..."

Maka's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She could feel Soul's grip on her hand tighten, but she didn't look over to see his face. She had to focus.

"Yes, Crona, I'm here. I can help you. Tell me what happened."

Some seconds after Maka's demand, Crona's head finally raised. His eyes were wide, showing all of his fear and sadness inside them. His mouth formed words silently for some time before he was finally spoke.

"I saw her... I... I couldn't get away from her," His voice wavered, shaking and filled with emotion.

"Crona, its alright. She wasn't really there."

"She was."

"No Crona, she wasn't. She's gone. She can't control you anymore."

Crona's breathing suddenly became harsh, to which Soul began to pull on Maka's arm. Maka let her other hand fall over Soul's. She was going to continue before the Ragnarok's voice was heard.

"Crona, listen to flat-chest. Medusa is dead. SUPER dead. And she is NEVER coming back, trust me."

Crona's shaking seemed to grow worse, but it was hard to tell in the poor lighting. Maka took a deep breath before continuing.

"Crona, I know... it seems so real... but Medusa can't control you anymore. She can't use you anymore. She can't hurt you anymore. We are all here for you and we are here to protect you. You don't need to worry about her. She isn't here, and she never will be. And you don't need her either. You are strong enough to conquer her. You can do it right now..."

Maka then slowly, carefully, extended her hand to him. She could tell he was looking at it from the side, but eventually, through the shaking, his head slowly turned so he could see it in full. His eyes were wide, his pupils dilated, and tears began to form at the corners.

"Come on Crona, you can do this. Take my hand and we can go home. You don't need her, you are a strong and loving person... please."

Crona stood motionless for several minutes after Maka spoke. She couldn't tell what was happening to him, but she knew that inside he was struggling.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Crona turned to face her. His arm then slowly extended, and before long his limp fingers were able to grasp Maka's hand. She squeezed his tightly, and looked at his face, though his gaze was still focused on their clasped hands. His head then rose to meet her eyes, and under her warn and accepting gaze, he seemed to finally come to.

In seconds, tears began streaming down his face, his shaking growing worse as he tried to hold them in. Then he broke down and before long, he was on his knees on the ground, crying almost uncontrollably while still holding Maka's hand. She slowly knelt beside him, being careful not to kneel in the blood. Her other hand rubbed their two clasped hands as she spoke to him softly.

"It's okay, Crona, it'll be alright."

"I'm sorry. I just... I'm so sorry," Crona's words came out in little squeaks as he spoke. "I could've... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, no need to apologize," Maka's words were soft and honest, which only made Crona cry harder. As Soul watched, he breathed a heavy sigh that he had been holding in as he knelt down with them. He was thankful that this time it didn't take much effort to wake Crona; it was a sign that Crona's mental health was improving on top of everything else. Still, the situation made him uneasy. His voice was quiet as he addressed Maka.

"I am gonna go call Kid and Stein. Then we should get out of here."

"I know, come get us when you are done," Maka smiled at him briefly before he made his way out of the alley. Maka and Crona knelt in the darkness for several minutes before Soul came back. Maka was still telling Crona everything was fine and Crona was apologizing nonstop. Once Soul came back for them, the three headed back to the DWMA, where Kid and Stein were waiting.

* * *

It was the perfect day for a long walk. The sun was shining, though it wasn't too hot or cold. Maka adjusted her yellow hoodie as she walked the street chatting with Tsubaki. The two had planned this walk to hang out, though they also planned on stopping at Stein's during the walk. Three days had passed since Crona's incident and Maka had not seen him since, leaving her anxious and eager. She wanted to see him and spend time with him, though she was sure that he was doing much better at Stein and Miss Marie's place than he would be alone in his apartment.

The two walked along, glancing at the scenery and making small talk.

"I wasn't sure how it was going to be, Blackstar and I don't always agree on movies, but I really loved it. You should definitely give it a watch," Tsubaki said with a smile.

"I probably will. It's been a while since I watched a movie. Do you still have it rented out?" Maka asked curiously, though her eyes were focused on their surroundings. She recognized the area, and knew they would be at Stein's place in just a couple minutes.

"We do actually, I can give it to you on the way back. And you are sure you don't mind us stopping at the DWMA on the way home too? We don't have to..."

"I know, but I don't mind walking. I need the activity anyway. I am going to start getting antsy, not being able to do missions."

"I understand. I would probably also feel a bit disappointed, but you will be back to it before you know it," Tsubaki spoke softly, but also with an air of certainty let Maka know she was serious. Maka only smiled back, her head meeting the ground for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess your right."

Her answer didn't seem that confident to Tsubaki, leaving Tsubaki questioning if there was more to that topic than she had initially thought.

Tsubaki had become rather perceptive when it came to their friend group. With time, she also felt as though she had to protect all of her friends, as everyone in their group was a bit younger than her except for Liz. Age and experience made her reasonable and more aware, and using this wisdom, she and Liz had become like the therapists of the group. When any one of them had a problem, it wasn't uncommon for them to come to Liz or Tsubaki to talk it through. Thus, Liz and Tsubaki only became even more wise with time, to the point where they could give advice on a variety of topics.

And judging by Maka's curt response, plus some other past responses, Tsubaki deduced that there was more to this issue than she had initially thought. It had been a long time since Maka came to her for advice, but she had a feeling they may be talking soon. They hadn't talked about the pregnancy much at all; just the occasional passing conversation was had. Tsubaki was sure that Maka would eventually want to talk to her about it more in depth, but waiting for the right time would be a problem.

Then an idea crossed her mind.

"You know, I was talking to Liz the other day. She seems pretty eager to have a another sleep over. Maybe within the next two weeks even."

Maka's eyes lit up.

"Well, you know I will be free. I would love to have another sleep over. We don't hang out as a group as often as we used to..." Maka said almost in thought, though her eyes were still wandering.

"I know, but we should hang out more. I can talk to Liz about it."

"Yeah, please do. Liz, Patti, and Kid always seem to be busy."

"They are, but we can ask them more often to make time," Tusbaki said, nodding to herself.

Just as Tsubaki finished her thought, they arrived at Stein's place. The dull gray shading and stitching of the exterior had never changed, but Miss Marie's small flower garden in front added some much needed color.

The two approached the door, only getting in two knocks before Miss Marie happily answered.

"Oh hello Maka, Tusbaki. How are you both? Come in, come in," Miss Marie motioned them in cheerfully, her smile wide and welcoming.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Tsubaki said smiling back, giving Miss Marie a light hug before she entered.

"And how about you, Maka? I hope you are doing well too."

"Oh I am, don't worry," Maka replied, also giving Miss Marie a hug before entering and placing her hoodie on a nearby chair.

"That's good to hear. Glad the sickness is over. You two better be starting the proper care."

"It's alright, Soul and I are doing our research," Maka said as she and Tsubaki took off their shoes.

"Well, you know if you need any help with anything, you can always come to me," Miss Marie's assurance only made Maka uncomfortable, though Maka knew she meant well. "You guys want something to eat or drink? I could fix you up something if you would like."

"Actually, some tea would be nice," Maka spoke softly, searching about the rooms and open doors for a fluff of pink hair.

"I wouldn't mind some tea either," Tsubaki also began to glance about the room, though Maka wasn't sure if she was searching or just observing.

"Okay, I can start up a pot," Miss Marie made her way for the kitchen, pausing at it's entrance. "I will call Crona too. I am sure you are eager to see him. He still needs to stay here at nights for the next couple days, but I can tell you that our talk therapy sessions have been very productive. I am sure he will talk to you about them, Maka."

Maka's eyes focused for a second. "He probably will."

Miss Marie smiled at her response, opening the kitchen door with one hand. She gave a pleasant sigh. "I will also try to get Stein out here too. No guarantees on that of course, you know how busy he gets."

"If he is busy, we wouldn't want to interrupt him," Tsubaki said, her eyes finally stopping the wandering.

Miss Marie shrugged at tsubaki's response. "We'll see, let me just put the tea on then." And before she could finish the sentence, the door closed behind her.

Almost as soon as the door was closed, Maka began to fidget. She was too eager to see Crona, and Tsubaki could almost see her enthusiasm. After some seconds of watching Maka pace a bit, Tsubaki came forward and put a hand on Maka's shoulder.

"Calm down, Maka. He'll be out in a second. And Miss Marie said he was fine."

"I know," Maka tilted her head down. "But still... I still worry about him sometimes."

As Maka finished her sentence, Crona entered the room through a different door. He entered slowly, almost hesitantly, looking about the room as he did so. His entrance immediately caught Maka's attention, and while their gazes immediately met, there was a pause before they moved. For that brief time, they just stared at each other, Maka's worried face slowly giving way to a soft and eased smile. Crona blushed at the sight; he always blushed when she gave him that smile.

"Maka... I-"

Before he could even begin, Maka was right next to him, arms wrapped around him, her head buried in his shoulder. He tensed for a moment, knowing full well that Tsubaki was watching.

It was an understatement to say that Crona had a problem with public displays of affection; not necessarily that he didn't like it, but more along the lines that he was still having trouble dealing with being seen showing affection to others. Showing affection and receiving affection was something Crona had rarely done before he met Maka, if ever. In many ways, it was a foreign concept, one which he was still trying to figure out in his subconscious.

But on occasion, his emotions would carry him, regardless of his anxieties. Even with Tsubaki watching, Maka's arms and the warmth of her body made him feel... better. They made him feel safe and loved, and it was almost his compulsion was to show her his love back.

Shaking, he let his arms fall beside her waist. After some seconds, he wrapped them around her, connecting them behind her back. He pulled her closer to his body, his head resting just above her shoulder. He spoke quietly, still aware that Tsubaki was watching them.

"I missed you."

"Crona, I missed you too," Maka said, her head tilting up to speak by his ear. "I am so glad you are alright. I was so worried about you."

"You shouldn't worry about me... I'm fine," Crona spoke as he buried his head into her shoulder. He didn't like her worrying about him, but she often seemed to. Though it didn't seem to be as often as he worried about her.

"I know you are. I'm... just glad you are alright," Maka spoke quietly before leaning in, planting a soft kiss on his neck. Crona stiffened, but relaxed in seconds as they detached from the hug. He rubbed the kissed area gingerly, blushing as his eyes wandered from the floor to Maka's face. She was still smiling at him, and before ling, she took his hand in hers before turning around to face Tsubaki.

Tsubaki could only return the smile they were giving her. The two of them had such a bond together that Tsubaki could almost see it between them, and seeing two people so in love gave her a warm and comforting feeling.

"Hello Crona," Tsubaki spoke cheerfully, hands behind her back. "Glad to see you are well."

"Thank you," Crona blushed further. He didn't want Tsubaki to worry about him either. To his blush, Maka's grin widened. She loved seeing him blush, though he knew that it was mostly from embarrassment. With a small tug of his hand, Maka lead Crona to a nearby couch where they sat side-by-side. Tsubaki took the couch across from them.

"Miss Marie told me you guys have been talking about things," Maka squeezed his hand a little as she brought up the topic. "It's all going well?"

"It is," Crona looked down at his feet as he spoke. "They think this time wasn't as bad as others. I guess they are right."

"Glad to hear it," Tsubaki chimed in. "But you don't have to talk about it any more if you don't want to..."

As Tsubaki finished, the Miss Marie entered the room, a small tray in hand carrying several cups of tea.

"I made some extra cups for everyone," Miss Marie said, walking over and placing the small tray on the table between them all. "Not sure what you all like, so I brought out the sugar and cream too."

"Thank you, Miss Marie," Tsubaki piped as she grabbed her cup of tea.

As Miss Marie sat next to Tsubaki, Stein also entered the room. He was smiling, though his posture suggested tiredness.

"Hello Professor Stein," Maka and Tsubaki spoke almost in unison. Stein's smile widened at their enthusiasm.

"Hello girls, how are things going?" Stein moved to the side of the room, where he placed a small pack of cigarettes into his pocket.

"Well, and with you?" Tsubaki said politely.

"Busy. I unfortunately won't be able to chat tonight. I have too much research on my plate," He approached the couch, but didn't take a seat. "Just going out to have a smoke."

"Well, you are welcome to join us later if you can," Tsubaki nodded as she spoke.

"Maybe I will. And Maka, how are you? Taking care of that baby I hope?"

"I am," Maka spoke softly, a small blush coloring her cheeks. "I have already changed my diet and everything. I am doing my research, no need to worry."

"Good, glad to hear it," Stein approached the door. "I will be outside if you need me, but I will be in shortly regardless."

Stein's words trailed off as the door closed behind him.

The four of them talked for hours about a variety of topics. Tsubaki told some stories from her missions with Blackstar, Maka talked about her last mission fight with Soul, and Stein occasionally popped in to explain his latest research project when he had time.

Not long after the three hour mark, Maka put down her second empty cup of tea, and stood up from the couch.

"I hate to go, but Tsubaki and I still have some errands to run," Maka adjusted her shirt as she spoke. Tsubaki nodded.

"Yeah, I still need to stop at the DWMA," Tsubaki rose from her place as well. Before long, all present were standing to give their goodbyes.

"Oh of course. Have fun. But make sure to come by and visit again," Miss Marie smiled at the two girls. They smiled in return.

"We will, don't worry," Tsubaki spoke as she put on her jacket. Maka began the process soon after.

"Great. It was so nice seeing you both," Miss Marie hugged Tsubaki and Maka before making her way to the door of another room. "I will let you guys say your goodbyes. Take care of yourselves and see you soon."

And with that, Miss Marie left the room, leaving Tsubaki, Maka, and Crona standing just beside the door outside. Tsubaki glanced over at Maka, only to see the loving glances she was shooting Crona. Tsubaki only breathed a sigh through her smile, and moved forward so she was standing next to Crona.

"It was nice seeing you Crona, hope I can see you again soon," Tsubaki grinned, placing on of her hands on Crona's shoulder.

Crona acted oddly at times about hugging, shaking hands, or simply friendly touch with others. Touch was something that was precious to him, partly because it wasn't something he received very often in his youth. A hug alone had so much more meaning and emotion tied into it for him, so often even the slightest touch made him tense or even sometimes flinch. It wasn't surprising that having someone besides Maka touch him, even with just a hand shake, could be awkward. But with Tsubaki, Crona felt differently. Maka had told Crona so much about Tsubaki, and he knew that Tsubaki was a big help to Maka in recent weeks. This coupled with her amiable and genuine nature made Crona much more likely to accept her touching gestures.

Crona let his free hand cover Tsubaki's, still lightly placed on his shoulder.

"It was nice seeing you too," Crona gave a tiny smile to her, a deep blush creeping onto his cheeks. Tsubaki almost giggled at the sight.

"Alright, you two say your goodbyes. I will be outside," Tsubaki said with a wave. She opened the door and stepped outside.

With Tsubaki out of sight, Maka turned to face Crona taking both his hands in hers.

"You sure the talks are going fine?"

"They are," Crona nodded, trying to reassure her. Maka could only smile at him, letting her one hand slide up and touch the side of his face.

"Good. I want you to be able to go home soon."

Her touch was so soft. It was a wonder to Crona how anyone's hands could be so soft. He let his eyes slip shut for a moment, and it was in that moment that the soft peck of a kiss was felt on his lips.

His eyes immediately shot open to find that Maka had moved in closer, her face almost directly in front of his own. His hands slowly moved from her hands to her waist, and her hands too migrated until they connected around his neck. The two just stood there a minute, staring at each other, a warmth almost filling the air around them.

"I like when you surprise kiss me," Crona finally said, blushing and glancing to the side.

"I like it too," Maka almost giggled as she spoke.

With that, Maka leaned in again, and this time Crona was prepared. Their lips met in the middle for only a couple seconds, but it was enough to make Crona's head spin.

Then Maka stepped back from the hug. "I guess I have to get going. Don't want to keep Tsubaki waiting..."

"Yeah," Crona let his hands clasp in front of him. He missed her hugs already.

"See you within the week then," Maka spoke opening the door for her exit. Crona nodded, giving Maka one of his rare smiles. She was about to close the door when she paused.

"Oh Crona, one more thing, come here a second."

Crona's face became confused, and he approached Maka with quiet steps until he was beside her. Before he could think, another small soft kiss was felt on his cheek, making him blush yet again with surprise. His eyes grew wide for a second, and Maka gave a small chuckle as she glanced him over.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that, Maka closed the door, leaving Crona in the doorway, touching his kissed cheek and longing for more of her warmth.

* * *

Late that night, Crona sat silently in his designated bedroom, reading a book to himself. Seeing Maka that day made him feel amazing. Seeing her always made him feel good, but there was something that still tugged at the corners of Crona's mind, begging to be discussed. As he sat trying to read, these ideas, these thoughts, almost overcame him, and after too long he began to experience a small form of anxiety. It wasn't unusual for him to get anxiety, but this form of anxiety had been plaguing him for quite some time. At first, he had no intention of talking about it, thinking perhaps it would go away with time. But now it had grown much larger than he had anticipated. Miss Marie, Stein and Maka always told him that one of the best ways to deal with his fears, worries or anxieties was to talk about them with people who wanted to listen. It took him years to understand how this concept worked, but these days, he was genuinely trying to talk out his problems. And he now realized that this issue was no exception.

Before long, he realized that he wasn't reading at all; he was staring at the pages of his book, the words jumbling together before him as a tightness began to build in his chest.

He took a deep, steady breath and put his book down on a nearby desk. He knew he had to talk about the feelings he was having, and there was no better time. He knew he couldn't let his anxiety grow any further, so talking about, here and now, seemed like one of his best options.

With slow, careful movements, he rose from his bed and made his way to the living room area. He stepped lightly; he wasn't sure if Stein or Miss Marie were awake or not, but regardless, he had no intention of waking simply to hear him talk about his problems.

As he reached the living room, he paused in the small light of the doorway, almost readying himself to enter. He quietly peeked from around the corner, not wishing to disturb anyone in the room. Miss Marie was sitting quietly reading on the couch, and after some seconds, she noticed his hesitant entrance.

"Hello Crona. Couldn't sleep?" She spoke, flipping through the pages of the magazine before her.

"Yeah," Crona's voice wavered, and Miss Marie picked up on it.

She smiled at him warmly. "Come take a seat then, we can chat if you want until you get tired."

"Al... Alright," Crona walked over to the couch and sat down across from her, his movements slow and uncertain. Miss Marie leaned in once he sat down.

"It was nice of Maka and Tsubaki to stop by today. I see them so little these days, but I guess it is for the best. They are busy girls."

"Yeah..." Crona still couldn't concentrate. He needed to speak with her, but getting up the nerve took time. After some seconds, Crona sat up straight, his head tilted down so that his choppy bangs hid his eyes. "Miss Marie... I...there is something I want to talk about."

Miss Marie's face became a little more serious, and with Crona's words, she leaned forward as to hear him better. "Whatever it is, Crona, you know I am all ears."

Crona nodded, although he still didn't meet her face. He began to shake, his hands clenched into tight fists on his knees.

"I... want to talk to you about... Maka."

A small wave of surprise went through Miss Marie's body. She was expecting something serious, and although she had a feeling he would talk to her about Maka, she didn't think it would be so soon.

Her surprise quickly melted away, however, leaving only concern and a small grin. "I am listening. Is something wrong?"

Crona tried to hold back his shaking, but to no avail. "I... I just...," His fingers turned white before his one arm went to grab the other. He took another deep breath and continued. "I just... feel as though... I still feel that sometimes I don't deserve her."

"Crona, you know that isn't true."

"I know, but... I feel like... there is no place for me. She and Soul are...," His voice trailed off, and for several seconds, he became quiet. Miss Marie let out a small sigh, then rose from her seat and replanted herself in the space next to Crona.

"Crona, there are some things you have to realize. Maka loves you, it is clear in all her actions and words. I know sometimes it is hard to believe that, but you know it is true. You see this love every day," Miss Marie paused. "The relationship you three have formed... there may be times when it makes you feel a little weird. After watching you three together and even apart, I can tell you guys are all perfect for each other. It's a rare thing to have what you guys have. And you all deserve each others' happiness. Maka may be having a child, but it is obvious that she still wants you in her life, and Soul still wants you there as well. Do you want to be there?"

Crona's eyes shot up, his face turning to meet Marie's. She could see a kind of sadness in his eyes.

"I do. I want to be with her... but...," He glanced down yet again. "I feel like... they are making a family... and I... I don't deserve to be part of that."

Miss Marie put one hand on Crona's own, lightly rubbing his knuckles as she spoke.

"Crona, you do deserve to be a part of that. Maka and Soul want you to be there with them. You told me Soul has talked to you about this, and he still wants you in this relationship. You are a part of them. You love them and they love you back. I am sure Maka will talk to you about this too..." She paused again to arrange her thoughts. "Crona, you are part of the life that Maka and Soul want to live. They love you dearly and they want to experience these new things with you..."

She waited for a response from him, watching his shaking slowly subsiding. With a small nod, Crona spoke.

"I... I guess you are right," There was still a hint of uncertainty in his voice, but Miss Marie could tell he was feeling better. She smiled, rubbing Crona's back with her free hand.

"Don't worry, Crona, you will feel better with time."

Crona nodded, a new kind of tension building inside him. Now was the time to address the real issue. He had to talk now before he lost his nerve.

"There is... something else..."

Miss Marie became serious again, her mind clearing. "Whatever it is Crona, you know I will help you."

"I...," Crona began to fidget. He needed to relax before he talked about the issue. He knew talking about it would take a long time, and he wasn't mentally ready to dive in just that moment. "I... I need a minute."

Miss Marie was somewhat surprised by his words, but a smile crossed her face. "You take as long as you need. I am going to go fix some hot milk. I will be out in a second."

"Okay," Crona said quietly as Miss Marie went off to fetch the drinks. As he sat on the couch, his thoughts began to swim again, his anxiety slowly returning. This was something he needed to talk about, and there was no doubt in his mind that he needed to do it tonight before his anxiety took him over again.

* * *

END.

No other fanfictions that I have read address the fact that basically Crona hallucinates seeing Medusa. It's obvious; he does it in the show and the manga. There are so many places you can go with it, and it is such a big psychological issue that I couldn't let it pass by. Feedback is a virtue. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

Sorry I took forever to update. On a side note, I gave my story character tags recently. I labeled it as a Soma, although it will be just as much Croma. The only reason I chose to label it that was simply because the child involved is a Soma baby, but yeah, there will be just as much Croma fluff.

* * *

Maka knew once Soul began working without her that she might become a tad bored. Her life as a meister was put on pause, but she still yearned for the heat of the battle, the feel of the scythe in her hands. She knew it would be like this for several months though, and was all too happy for it. In the days that followed her visit to Crona, she created a new workout schedule for herself. Going from slaying Kishin eggs to sitting at home made Maka uneasy and after some research, she found that plenty of physical activity was great for the baby as long as it wasn't quite as strenuous than the slaying of Kishin eggs. And thus a new routine was created, and today was no exception. Her morning began with a full breakfast and as Soul left for work, she left for her jog which lasted several hours and included several breaks.

By mid afternoon, she went back to the house and waited for Crona. The two had planned to hang out today, and Maka suggested they stop by Kid's house briefly. Liz and Patti happened to have the day free even though Kid and Soul were at work, and Tusbaki also intended to stop by at some point to talk to Liz. The small gathering was rare, and so Crona had no protest to a day spent with friends.

Now the two walked side-by-side in the midday sun, paced leisurely and talking casually. Their hands were interlocked between them.

"So I was thinking we should have a movie marathon sometime soon," Maka said cheerfully. Crona looked to her.

"Sure. There are still a lot of movies I haven't seen. But I don't want to.. watch movies like the one at Kid's that one time with-"

"Oh no, we will not be watching those kinds of movies," Maka had heard about the movie marathon Crona had gone to over a year ago with Patti, Liz, and Blackstar. It was intended to be a horror marathon, but ended up being more of a psychological and torture marathon, with movies like the first Saw, Repo! The Genetic Opera, and other such films. Crona was fine for a while, but several movies like that in a row eventaully began to grate on him, almost making him feel that he was similar to these torture victims. He left Kid's house early, went to Maka and Soul's house and slept on the couch, barely speaking from his arrival, his thoughts in some strange place between guilt and inner turmoil.

Maka didn't want him to ever feel that way. They talked about it the next day, and things quickly became solved. But Maka would never think to touch the genre without careful consideration.

She thought carefully. "What about some action films?"

"I could watch those," Crona said, trying to think of the action films he had seen.

"Would you like to try some animated films maybe?" Maka gave him a loving glance. He blushed lightly.

"You know I will watch anything you recommend," His voice was soft as it pleasantly floated into Maka's ears. She smiled at him, and leaned over, planting a kiss lightly on his cheek.

"The list of movies we have to watch just keeps growing I guess," Maka spoke, a small smile crossing her face. Crona gave her his own tiny grin.

"Yeah, I feel a little...deprived. I wish I had seen some things before recently. I feel like... I missed out."

"You shouldn't feel that way, it's not your fault," Maka turned and faced forward. "I don't know what movie marathon we should start first though, more modern movies or some classics from when I was growing up."

Crona thought for a minute. "I think... well, won't you be watching a lot more childhood movies soon anyway?"

"Yeah, your right, maybe we should start with those," Maka's mind began to wander a little. "We can weed out the best ones."

There was a pause in their conversation which Crona felt uneasy about, and when he looked towards Maka, he briefly caught her eyes staring at his backside. She quickly faced forward, a wily smile crossing her face. Crona couldn't help but smile too, but he became uneasy.

"What are you thinking?" He spoke somewhat hesitantly.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. My mind is free of all thoughts," Maka's smile grew wider as she spoke, her eyes again glancing at his backside for only a second. Crona's grip tightened on their interlocked hand.

"I think I know what you are thinking," Crona was becoming nervous, a pleasant anxiety filling his chest. Only Maka gave him this pleasant kind of anxiety. It was so hard to understand, so hard to explain to others. But for some reason, unlike his normal anxiety, Crona enjoyed it.

"Oh do you? What do you think I am thinking?" Maka's smile managed to grow even wider. Crona's hand instinctively came up from his side in some small attempt at readying his defenses.

"I think... I think you want to grab my butt again," Crona's eyes watched her carefully, their walk now slowing to a crawl.

Maka's eyes narrowed as she faced forward. "Maybe I do... Maybe I don't. But guess what?"

Crona watched her closely, his pleasant anxiety rising. "... What?"

"It's a good thing I have two hands."

"What do you-" And before Crona could finish, their little tussle began. In a swift maneuver, Maka managed to get in one grab of Crona's butt in before he made his distance from her, his new stance somewhere between fighting and cowering several feet away from her. His hands were up, ready to block hers.

"Do you always have to grab my butt?" Crona's voice wavered a bit, his face going from smiling to stern, his eyes focusing.

"Crona, it's just so round and out there, how can I not grab it?" Maka spoke with almost a chuckle, slowly approaching Crona with open arms and open hands.

This activity almost developed into a game between them. Crona was both thrilled and puzzled when he first found that Maka liked his body. It made him feel better about it himself, something he was still working on. Over time, and after they had become more comfortable with each other, it was discovered by accident that certain areas of Crona were ticklish. He wasn't very ticklish in general, but one of the very few areas he was ticklish was on his round backside, and Maka found this quite humorous. From the point of discovery forward, Maka occasionally began to grab Crona's butt when he was least expecting it, usually eliciting a squeak or gasp of surprise and a jump. Often his cheeks would also blush with embarrassment, but because it also tickled him, he couldn't help but giggle sometimes. And Crona's giggle nearly made Maka's head spin. His smile was worth a thousands suns to her and more, but his laugh? There was no way of putting a value on it.

Random tickling became a frequent game between the two. Maka also had some select ticklish spots which Crona always tried to get to, but it was usually to no avail. Maka was just too good at this game. The objective was to get the opposing person to admit defeat, and Crona was always that person. In recent times, Crona began to let her win anyway, without her knowledge of course, because she was beginning to develop what Liz called a "love bump". Her stomach was just starting to show, and the fact that it was now noticeable made Crona weary and somewhat uneasy about these kinds of physical games. Regardless, whether Crona was going easy or not, the game was always heated.

Now the two stood on either sides of each other, trying to circle the other like a bird of prey. Their movements were slow and their gazes focused, but smiles crossed both their faces.

Suddenly Maka lunged forward for an attack, but Crona was prepared. She tried to slip her hands by him, her right going for the kill, and the left ready to block. Crona's own hands intercepted hers however, and his grip tightened a bit on her wrists, restraining them from moving any further. He held her hands in between them, Maka tugging them occasionally back and forth, their faces now inches away from each other. They smiled widely at each other, each grinning ear to ear, before Maka began to lean in. Before Crona could think, her lips were on his, the kiss melting Crona's happy anxiety. It was just the opportunity Maka needed to make her move.

After but two seconds of kissing, Crona's grip loosened and both Maka's hands flew back, giving Crona's round backside a firm grip. Crona nearly leaped into the air in shock, his hands flying back to bat her hands away. After several seconds, he freed himself from her grip and distanced himself again.

"You... that's not fair," He said in an almost exasperated manner, a smile still crossing his face. Maka laughed.

"I don't believe there is a rule against it," She gave him a warm smile and began to approach him. Crona flinched, which only made Maka laugh again. "I am not going to tickle you now. We are done."

With these words, Crona slowly lowered his hands. Maka pulled him into a light hug, her head resting upon his shoulder as she let out a small sigh. Crona's hands began to stroke her back.

"Are you okay? I didn't upset you, did I?" Crona spoke with uncertainty. He felt Maka shake her head.

"No, you didn't upset me. I'm fine," Her grip tightened around him, and in response he tightened his own grip. "Let's keep walking."

Crona seperated from the hug and stepped back to see Maka's face. She smiled at him, but he couldn't help but feel like something was bothering her. Tickle fights between them were usually never that short, but he didn't question. After a brief kiss was shared, their walk began again, their hands again interlocked in the middle of them.

* * *

Maka and Crona arrived at Kid's mansion within a fairly short time. They had almost power walked the second half of the trip, but as they approached the steps, they slowed their pace. An unfamiliar car, one which Maka and Crona recognized as Doc's car, was parked in the front, and the faint sound of music was heard from inside.

Upon entering the manor, Crona and Maka were met with the all too familiar sight of Doc and Patti having what they called a "jam session". The music was decently loud and echoed throughout the halls; Maka was sure Liz must have told Patti to turn it down as usual. Doc and Patti sang and danced before them in a ridiculous style, slowly making their way into th next room. They stopped suddenly, finally noticing the visitors.

"Crona! Maka!" Patti threw her hands in the air as she spoke, rushing over to them for hugs.

"Hey Patti, Good to see you," Maka spoke as she returned the hug. Patti hugged her tightly and did the same to Crona, neither of them having the time to return the gesture. Doc followed Patti in a less exaggerated manner, extending his free hand to give them both firm handshakes.

"How are you today Miss Albarn? And Crona? I hope you guys are both doing well, we were just moving along to see Liz in the next room."

"I saw," Maka couldn't help but smile at the thought of their nonsensical dancing.

"Let us take you there," Doc smiled playfully as he took Maka's hand and pulled in the direction of the next room. Patti followed, swiftly tugging Crona's arm, until both Maka and Crona entered the next room over, sighting Liz on the couch. She rose to meet them.

"Hey guys, didn't expect you to be here so soon," Liz said as she lightly embraced them both. "But the earlier the better. It's been a little too long since we last chilled."

"I know, are you guys free all day?" Maka was curious.

"All. Freakin. Day!" Patti almost sang her abrupt words in rhythm with the music, picking up her dancing again as Doc adjusted the volume of the boom box in his left hand. "Kid's got work. The _alone_ kind of work. Soul too, right?"

"Yeah, he is working for the day," Maka spoke as she removed her light hoodie. Liz took it from her and began to walk into the next room, Maka following.

"Oh, gotta be fun for you, right?" Liz let a faint hint of sarcasm slip in.

"Actually it's not bad at all. Just getting used to not going on missions," Maka smiled at Liz and Liz smiled back.

Maka and Liz then drifted into the next room and Crona was not sure if he should follow. Maybe Maka wanted it to be just her and Liz, but he couldn't tell. His inner confusion translated into him simply standing still, until the sound of Patti's voice snapped him out of it.

"This song reminds me of you," Her voice went from low to high volume as she bounced around the room. Crona wasn't sure if she was talking to him or Doc, who also was dancing next to his boom box on the floor.

"What?"

"This song reminds me of you. Not sure why, just does," Patti spoke playfully as she approached Crona, briefly taking hold of his arms to swing them in a silly fashion. She then quickly ran over to Doc, eagerly taking his arms in preparation. "Ready for the chorus?"

"You know I am," Doc said playfully before swooping Patti into an exaggerated waltz-dance position before starting to sing in harmony with Patti and the chorus of the song.

"_I want to swim away but don't know how  
Sometimes it feels just like I'm fallin' in the ocean  
Let the waves up take me down  
Let the hurricane set in motion, yeah  
Let the rain of what I feel right now, come down  
Let the rain come down"_

Once the chorus ended, Doc spun Patti in an epic release, and she made her way back over to Crona.

"Oh! And speaking of songs and you and such, concert this weekend. M83. You should definitely come with us," Patti's smile took up her whole face.

In recent years, Patti had taken a liking to the concert scene. She was a fan of just about every kind of music, and whenever a band came into town, she would always attend the concert. She often found herself traveling for certain concerts as well, though usually not too far and always with friends. Doc, who was also fellow concert lover, often joined and Liz and Black Star would also tag along from time to time. In total, it wasn't uncommon for Patti to attend one or two concerts a month. And she always made it a point to invite Crona, even though she knew he was hesitant about it.

"I think you will like this one, I don't think it will be _too_ rowdy," Patti leaned on the couch arm facing Crona, still smiling and eager for his response.

"No thank you," Crona spoke softly, trying to give her a small smile. "I have plans with Miss Marie and Professor Stein."

"Gah, fine be," Patti was clearly disappointed, but still kept her smile. "But you _will_ come to a concert one of these days. If Sufjan Stevens comes to town again, you should come with us. His concerts are crazy weird. And awesome of course. Not like other concerts."

Crona was curious about this. He had seen some of Patti's videos of her previously attended concerts and didn't find them appealing. It looked crowded, noisy, and he often couldn't hear the music. "How... is Sufjan Stevens different?"

"Last concert we went to of his was some months ago, right Doc?"

"Indeed," Doc approached the two and flopped on the couch below them, hands behind his head. "When he started playing, no one made any noise. We all just sat and listened. It was like a trance."

"That wouldn't be too bad, right?" Patti's gaze met Crona's as she gave him a soft pat on the shoulder. "Bet you would like that."

"Maybe..." Crona was still hesitant, though it sounded nicer than one of Patti's other concerts. Maka and Soul occasionally encouraged him to attend one, though they knew he probably wouldn't enjoy the atmosphere. They just wanted him to get more musical exposure. "Maybe I will..."

"Awesomeness," Patti spoke triumphantly, and she and Doc almost immediately exchanged high fives . "We will keep you posted."

Almost on cue, Liz and Maka entered the room again, chatting up a storm. It was a while before Maka finally approached Crona, taking his hands in hers.

"Just letting you know, Liz and I are going into the other room for a little bit," Maka spoke as she rubbed the knuckles of his hands.

"Is everything okay?" Crona wanted to be sure. Maka had been acting distant all day. Maybe she needed to talk with Liz about something.

"Yes, it's fine. When Tsubaki and Blackstar get here, could you send Tsubaki in the room for me?" She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. He still felt as though something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. Reading people wasn't exactly his specialty.

"I will," He gave her a small smile of his own, and she kissed his forehead in response. Maka released his hands and began to head in to the next room with Liz.

"How long will you be...?" Crona's words almost stumbled over themselves. He didn't want to ask, but he wanted to know. From the doorway, Maka paused and looked at him, then gave him a nod.

"Probably around an hour, but don't worry, we will all hang out after."

And as the last word met Crona's ear, both Maka and Liz disappeared into the next room. Crona stood there for a minute before finally being ushered by Patti to sit on the couch. She approached him, her ipod in her hand.

"I want you to pick some more songs you like," She spoke confidently, taking the seat next to him on the couch. He eyed her ipod wearily.

"But.. I am not really sure.. what I like."

"You like that one song by Florence and the Machine, don't you?" She said playfully, pulling her ear buds out of her pocket.

"I... guess I do," Crona still spoke with uncertainty. Music was still a new thing for Crona in many ways. He wasn't sure what he liked or didn't like, what sounds he enjoyed or found unpleasing. He listened to the lyrics to songs on occasion, and had only a couple select songs he liked from Patti's ipod on a playlist, which she always made him look through.

Patti smiled at him. "Well, start with her, then look at other songs in that genre. I am sure you will find something."

And as swiftly as she put the ipod into his hands, she flew off the couch, resuming a silly dance with Doc as the song on his boom box changed.

At first, Crona sat for a while, fiddling with the ipod controls and getting used to switching between songs. Before long, he slipped the earbuds into his ears, adjusted the volume to low and began to sift through the songs.

The first song that came on was one that Patti often played when he was in the car with her, "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei. He didn't really enjoy the piece, but he didn't mind hearing it. Often, whenever Patti played this song, she made it a "requirement" for him to wear sunglasses. He imagined it looked silly, but it only got worse when she implemented the second requirement, which was having him bob his head to the beat of the music. One time she taped him without his noticing and showed Maka at a later time. She told Crona he looked silly, but she couldn't help but smile and laugh. He wasn't sure if he was fond of that memory or not.

The second song was another song he had heard before, though he never knew the name. "Kids" by MGMT was another song he wasn't really fond of, but didn't mind hearing. Songs utilizing synthesizers were hit and miss with Crona, with a few random ones holding some appeal and others falling flat. This one was not so bad, and he enjoyed the lyrics.

The third song he had never heard before. "Song of Myself" by Nightwish caught him off guard in a good way, mainly because of the female singer. Patti noted that Crona more often liked female singers, though she wasn't sure why. Crona knew though; on occasions, if the sound of the song pleased him, he would picture Maka singing or playing guitar with it, or Soul playing the synthesizer. The thought made him happy, and often made him wish he could play an instrument well like Soul could.

He was about to skip to the next song when an unfamiliar sound stopped him. He took off the earbuds and looked towards the door, Tsubaki and Blackstar in its entryway, greeting Doc and Patti as they entered. He just began to make out their words to each other.

"I am well, thank you for asking," Tsubaki spoke with a smile after shaking hands with Doc. Black Star then also shook hands with him.

"How are you, man? Havin' a good time in here? You got your music goin' pretty loud," Blackstar's grin grew as he gave Doc a firm handshake. Doc laughed a bit in response.

"Yes I guess so. Just jamming is all." Doc chuckled again before releasing Blackstar's hand. Tsubaki then caught a glimpse of Crona on the couch.

"Oh, hey Crona. I didn't even see you there," Tsubaki spoke as she approached, reaching for his hand and grasping it in her own. "How is everything?"

"Good," Crona nodded to reassure her. "Everything is fine. Maka and Liz are in the next room. Maka wanted you to be in there too. She told me to tell you."

Before Tsubaki could reply, Blackstar came up behind them, smiling widely at Crona as he did so.

"Crona, my man, how's things going?" Blackstar said enthusiastically, taking Crona into a big hug. Crona gave him a light hug back, but with nowhere near as much enthusiasm.

"Good," Crona finally squeaked out before Blackstar released him.

"Glad to hear it. Hey Tsubaki, you mind if I talk to Crona alone for a minute?"

"Uh.. sure," Tsubaki obliged. As Blackstar crossed the room with Crona, Tsubaki couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two of them. The two were tall individuals, yet otherwise looked nothing alike. Blackstar was toned and tanned, rippling with muscle, and casually dressed in his ripped tank top, long athletic shorts and basketball shoes. Crona looked like a stick beside him, his shape slender yet elegant with pale skin in comparison. His pants had a nice fit, and his shirt was black with a white collar, making him look even more skinny. Tsubaki stared for a second before slowly making her way over to the door of the other room.

"I am going to be in there for a while. We will all hang out later. Okay guys?"

"Sure," Blackstar said, giving her a thumbs up. With that Tsubaki entered the other room, and Blackstar turned to face Crona. Crona was visibly nervous, but Blackstar continued to smile and leaned against the wall they were by.

"So everything is good?" He questioned, his voice slightly lower than before. Crona wasn't sure if he was looking for a certain answer or not, but he felt he had to answer Balckstar honestly.

"Yeah... everything is fine."

"You sure? Maka is fine? Soul and you are good?" Blackstar raised an eyebrow at Crona. Crona's nerves began to rise.

"Yeah... Maka is fine. She isn't really sick anymore, and she went to the doctor recently. Soul and I are fine too."

"You positive?" Blackstar leaned in a little and lowered his voice even more, his smile drifting away briefly. "Listen Crona, I am not tryin' to pry. I simply wanna make sure you guys are all right." Blackstar paused and folded his arms. "Soul is my main man, he is my best friend, so I know he is a great guy..." Blackstar paused, his smile coming back twice as wide. "I also know that sometimes he can be an oblivious tard, no offense to him. I just wanna know if it's all good between the three of you, and if it's not, I can try and help."

These words came as a bit of a shock to Crona. Crona knew Blackstar was looking out for him, but he couldn't help but become confused. Crona often saw Blackstar as twice as clueless as Soul. In fact, Crona didn't really see Soul as clueless at all, although Maka on occasion would call him that, both playfully and not. Furthermore, the fact that Blackstar went out of his way to make sure he was all right was all the more puzzling.

Crona stiffened as he mulled over Blackstar's words, a long pause filling the air before his response.

"... Everything seems to be fine. Soul is happy, Maka is happy... and I am happy too. But if anything isn't fine... I will let you know," Crona tried to sound reassuring, but he knew it didn't come off that way. Regardless, Blackstar nodded to his response.

"Good to know," Blackstar gave Crona several pats on the back. "You need anything, let me know. I'm not afraid to talk some sense into someone. Hell, I'm not afraid of anything!" Blackstar laughed at the statement, but soon after calmed again. "Just sayin', I am here for you. Whatever you need, you just tell me. Cool?" Blackstar held his fist out to Crona, clearly expecting him to do what they called the "brofist". Crona nearly forgot how to do the gesture, but slowly extended his end and gave a small nod.

"You guys done making out over there?" Patti shouted at them from across the room, the music still playing, though she and Doc both settled on the floor to chat and play cards.

"Shut up, Patti," Blackstar said playfully, he and Crona now both approaching. "We had to talk."

"Well great, and now you have to play cards," A wily smile crossed her face as she and Doc both took turns shuffling and cutting the deck of cards they had out. Blackstar and Crona both looked at each other.

"What are you playing?" Blackstar asked with obvious suspicion. Patti's smile only grew wider and her shifty eyes met Blackstar's

"How about Mau?"

"Bullshit. Not playing that again," Blackstar replied quickly, picking at Crona's curiosity.

"What is Mau?" Crona couldn't help but ask. Patti took in a deep breath to explain, and Blackstar sighed.

"I am afraid I can't tell you."

Crona's brow furrowed. "You … can't tell me?"

"All I can say is that it is a card game with the objective of getting rid of all the cards in your hand, that's it."

"What are the rules?"

"I still can't tell you."

Crona's brow furrowed even further. "How can we play if we don't know the rules?"

Patti giggled a little bit. "You just have to figure it out. Mau is the Fight Club of card games. The first rule is that you can't talk about the rules."

"The game is dumb, Crona," Blackstar said firmly. "I played it once. That's all it takes to realize it's dumb."

"HEY!" Patti snapped at Blackstar. "Mau is not dumb. And you didn't give it enough of a fair shot. Come on, play. Crona might like it."

"Doubt it," Blackstar scratched his head and looked to Crona. Crona suddenly felt both their eyes on him, and realized that they were both waiting for him to make a decision. While Mau didn't seem to make sense, he wasn't sure he would dislike it. And he was making it a point in recent months to try more new things. This was just one more thing he could try.

Crona took a breath. "I think ... I think I can give it a try."

"Fantastic!" Patti nearly shouted. Blackstar ran his hands through his hair.

"Fine, I will play too. But only because Crona is playing. Don't think I am going to enjoy this," Blackstar pointed to Patti as he spoke, he and Crona both taking seats on the ground by Doc and Patti. Doc decided to sit between them and moved after several seconds. Patti only laughed as she began to deal out cards.

"Say whatever you want, I think you guys will like it once you give it a fair chance," Patti said as she placed the deck in the middle of the four of them. Each person had been dealt a hand of five cards, which were on the floor before them. Blackstar eagerly picked up his cards to look at them.

"Let's just start this already," Blackstar said with impatience. Patti gave him an almost evil grin as she flipped the first card over from the top of the deck. Two of clubs.

"Fine with me. We will start with me and move clockwise. So me, then Crona, then Doc, then you. Everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Let the game begin!"

After Patti was done, she and Doc both quickly picked up there cards, and Crona soon followed their lead. Then Patti reached for the deck, and placed another card in front of Blackstar.

"Penalty for touching your cards while Mau was not in session," She was almost giggling as she spoke.

Crona's eyes grew wide, his nerves and confusion rising. Blackstar's reaction was far worse.

"What? That's bullshit, go easy on me!"

But Patti had no intention of going easy on anyone. She reached for the deck and placed another card on top of his first penalty card.

"Penalty for talking."

Blackstar took both cards reluctantly, giving Patti the middle finger as he did so. Patti and Doc couldn't help but snicker at him.

Meanwhile, Crona's eyes were fixed on Patti. The fact that the rules were unknown added a degree of tension that he wasn't sure he liked, but following her lead had the possibility of revealing a rule. So his eyes remained fixed, as did the rest of the group's.

Patti casually looked through her cards before placing down a five of clubs. She then looked to Crona, who was somewhere between bewilderment and restlessness. Based on previous actions, he gathered that it wasn't a good idea to speak, but nothing else was apparent. The only card he had in his hand that was a club was a three, and he decided the best course of action was to play it. With a careful deliberate hand, he slowly placed the card on top of the tiny pile, after which Doc began to look over his cards and think over moves.

The game continued for about twenty minutes before Blackstar and Crona began to grasp how to play. As time went on, Crona and Blackstar found the game more and more complex, but with good reason. After so long, they both figured out that when someone wins the round, that person gets to add a new rule which they must keep secret from everybody else. The game already was complex to them, with Crona estimating a beginning set of about five unspoken rules; adding more rules added a whole new degree of confusion.

When Liz, Tsubaki, and Maka finally enetered the room, they could feel the tension in the air. The group was huddled in the corner, Patti and Doc all smiles, and Crona and Blackstar all business. Not one participant looked up to greet the girls, which baffled Maka to a degree. She approahced the group, but didn't go any further than the couch in the middle of the room.

"What are they playing?" Maka's brows furrowed as she eyed Crona, catching him glancing at her.

Liz gave a small laugh. "It's a game called Mau. Patti discovered it like two months ago. It's interesting stuff; we will probably end up playing some time."

As Liz ended her sentence, they heard a rustle. Blackstar had placed his cards on the ground and stood up, stretching a bit as he did so.

"Alright, I am done with this," He said as he stretched. "It's too much now. Not that I can't handle it, but everyone is back anyway."

Patti let out a sigh. "Aw fine, but we were just getting started."

Liz rolled her eyes. "Really? How many rules did you have?"

Patti grinned. "A grand total of ten. Not bad, right?"

Crona gave a small sigh, to which Blackstar chuckled a bit. "Well, maybe for you."

Crona then also rose from the ground and approached Maka. She seemed a lot happier than before. Her smile was wider, her stance was slightly different, even her eyes seemed more alert. Crona felt a hint of anxiety. He was hoping he hadn't done anything earlier to upset her, but he felt like he did. And his worry showed on his face.

Maka cupped his face in both hands. "What's wrong? Don't look so sad."

Her smile was warm and understanding, but a hint of anxiety still lingered within him. He fidgeted, averting his eyes from her soft gaze.

"You're not... mad at me, are you?"

Maka's smile grew wider. "Of course not. You didn't do anything wrong. Why would you think that?"

Her hands slowly slid through his hair. He still averted his eyes.

"I don't know..."

Maka pulled him into a light hug. "I am not mad at you. Everything is fine. I don't want you to worry about anything, okay?"

Crona let his head rest on her shoulder, his nose taking in the scent of her clothes and hair. He nodded.

"Good," Maka detached from the hug, now holding his hands. "Liz invited us to stay and watch a movie with them. Soul and Kid won't be back till later tonight, so I said it would be fine. What do you think?"

Crona gave her a smile. "That would be nice, as long as it's..."

"I already talked to Liz about that," Maka said, rolling her eyes to look at Liz. "Right, Liz?"

"Yeah, you did," Liz's voice was low and serious. "Crona, I am sorry about that. It won't happen again."

"No.. it's fine," He said quickly, hiding a blush and averting his eyes yet again. Liz smiled.

"Good. Let's get things going then. Patti, could you and Doc start making popcorn?"

Patti and Doc both saluted Liz. Patti grinned. "Sure thing, sis'."

And with that, Doc and Patti ran into another room. Liz, Maka, Tsubaki, Crona, and Blackstar all went into the parlor and readied the area. They set up the couch, some chairs, and revealed the movie collection. Before the movie was even selected, Maka and Crona sat on the couch, both just trying to relax and enjoying the atmosphere of being surrounded by friends.

* * *

It was several hours before Kid finally arrived home. The movie party had ended, and Kid wasn't feeling up to watching anything anyway. His day was decently mentally exhausting and sleep was the only thing he was looking forward to. After he entered, he let out a small sigh, taking off his jacket and walking about to try and find Liz.

As he walked throughout the mansion, a disturbing sight met his eyes in the side parlor room. The room was in a good degree of disarray, with random objects scattered about and some flecks of popcorn littering the floor. Kid cringed; the mere sight of the room nearly made him gag, and he immediately began the cleaning and tidying procedure.

After some minutes, Liz entered the room to find him on hands and knees, examining the floor carefully and removing any flecks he found. Liz growled, her voice a yell of anger and frustration.

"Patti! I told you to clean the parlor!" Liz had no idea where Patti was, and thus let her voice carry throughout the mansion. A distant voice was heard somewhere upstairs, but Liz ignored it. She would deal with Patti later.

She approached Kid, kneeling before him as he continued his meticulous task. Luckily he had cleaned all of the room already. If he hadn't, Liz was sure it would have taken him forever to leave the task alone. Still, she hated that he had to come home to the mess.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Kid, it's fine, you got everything."

"I am just making sure. You can never be too thorough with these things," He remained on his knees as he spoke. After some seconds, he rose to a standing position, and Liz rose with him. He let out a sighed. Liz gave a small frown, taking his jacket from him to hang it up.

"Work tough today?" She said as she began to walk away. Kid followed her.

"A bit, but nothing too arduous. I made Soul attend several meetings to try and improve death scythe relations," Kid ran his fingers through his hair. "Otherwise, it was the usual. I am looking forward to sleeping tonight."

Liz turned to him after hanging up the jacket, a smile crossing her face. "How about a massage before you doze off?"

"I think you like giving me massages just as much as I like receiving them," Kid said playfully, both of them holding hands as they made their way for the upstairs. Liz chuckled a bit.

"Maybe I do, you have a problem with that?" Liz raised an eyebrow to him as he glanced backwards.

"Not at all. That works out nicely," Kid raised his eyebrows back, and the two of them slowly ascended the stairs.

* * *

Liz massaged Kid's bare back gently, her fingers pressing into the tense muscles above his shoulder blades. His muscles always seemed to be in knots; Liz made it a point to massage them out when possible.

Every now and then, Kid would let out a soft approving moan. Liz sometimes teased him about it, though she did admit that she loved his noises of approval. The two of them would occasionally talk about what their day was like and so on, but most of the time, Kid was drifting in the comfort of the massage.

"Liz..."

"What?"

Kid flipped himself over, and propped himself up into a sitting position on the bed. They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes filling with passion. Kid then extended his hand slowly. Liz took it, and he slowly pulled her close until she was sitting right next to him. He allowed his free hand to run through the locks of hair on her shoulders, their faces inches away from each other. Their eyes were still locked on each other, their gazes filled with an intensity that made them both almost excited. Kid took a sharp breath.

"You are perfect."

His words hit her stomach like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. The warmth spread throughout her body, making her twice as desirous. She took her free hand and slid it through his hair as well, a soft smile crossing her face. Kid smiled back, then put one hand against her back, and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Their two bodies then became interlocked; their hands grabbing the other's body, their legs a tangled mess. Kid eventually sank back into the bed, and Liz straddled his waist, their kissing still tender, but their movements almost unrestrained. It was several minutes before there was a brief break, in which Liz took slowly began to remove her clothing.

"Let's switch positions," Kid spoke softly, letting his hands rest on Liz's waist. She smiled at him.

"Sure, you have protection, right?" Liz asked as she unbuttoned the last button of her shirt. Kid fell silent for a minute before finally speaking.

"Actually... I don't think I want to go that far tonight," Kid was almost reluctant as he spoke, his eyes wandering a bit. Liz leaned over him until her face was directly above his.

"That's fine, we don't have to do it. There are plenty of other things we can do." Her voice was deep and playful, eliciting a smile from Kid.

Their eyes became locked for several seconds before they began again. It was a back-and-forth activity; each taking the reigns at different times. It wasn't very long, but it was a beautiful fit of passion while it lasted. And for both of them, it was a nice way to unwind after a hard day's work.

* * *

Soul had stayed a little later than Kid for work, but not much later. He didn't have as much work to do that day as Kid, but it felt like it mentally. By the time Soul got home, he was mentally exhausted, and just ready to sit on the couch and relax with Maka.

As Soul opened the door to the apartment, a wave of heat hit him. Compared to the cool night air, the apartment felt almost like a sauna, which made him sigh a bit. Maka, who had been on the couch reading, got up to greet him.

"Hey Soul, I was wondering when you would be back tonight."

The two kissed each other briefly in the doorway, then Soul slowly entered and placed his things on the kitchen table.

"I was beginning to wonder too," Soul said smiling, though Maka could tell by his eyes that he was tired. Maka rubbed his back.

"There is food in the fridge for you. It's leftovers. Sorry. Crona and I were gone all day."

Soul shook his head as he began to take off his jacket.

"Nah, I'm not hungry. I'm just gonna have some milk and sit and relax. And could I turn on the ceiling fan or open the windows or something? It's hot as hell in here," Soul spoke somewhat jokingly as he hung up his jacket. Maka had taken a seat on the couch again.

"Sure. I didn't even notice how hot it was...," Maka thought. She did turn the heat up, but it honestly didn't feel that bad to her.

"It's probably because of your weird pregnancy hormones or something," Soul said with a snicker. Maka's brow furrowed.

"Or it could be just because you were outside in the cold," Her voice had a tad of annoyance leaced in it. Soul chuckled a bit.

"Calm down, I am just joking," He said softly, giving her a warm smile. Maka smiled back, and motioned him over to the couch.

"Let me get some milk first. And turn on the fan."

Soul quickly retrieved a small glass of milk and moved to the center of the room to turn on the ceiling fan. As the fan began to spin, something flew off the edge of it, which Soul and Maka immediately noticed to be money. When the fan reached full speed, another set of money flew off, which Soul immediately went over to retrieve. He crouched by the two bundles of cash, his hands slowly maneuvering them to see the note strapped to them.

"Was that really money?" Maka stood up to get a better look, her voice laced with uncertainty. Soul grumbled.

"Yeah it is," Soul said sourly as he picked up the money. As he fiddled through the bills, he found the note that he had seen strapped inside them. With a sigh, Soul opened the note to find two words in all-too-familiar handwriting.

"From Crona," Soul said quietly.

There was a long pause between the two of them. It took a while before they were even able to say anything. Then Maka spoke up.

"No way."

"Did you watch him as you left?" Soul was almost irritated, but his irritation was quickly leaving.

"I did! Very carefully too. There is no way he did this when we were about to leave."

"Guess he must have done it earlier than that. He is getting too good at this," Soul said as he stood up. He walked over and place the wrapped money on the kitchen table.

"You know it's not him now. Patti is the one giving him most of these ideas."

"But he's the one doing them," Soul sounded a bit troubled.

For a long time, Crona had insisted on giving Maka and Soul money whenever he came over. Crona felt as though he needed to pay them; he insisted he was taking up room and eating their food, which would cost them money in the long run. Maka and Soul always refused him however, assuring him that his company was wanted and the money was not needed. Plus, he didn't usually eat much anyway. Soul would always joke that it took more money to feed Blair than Crona, and Blair's food didn't consist of much other than small fish. So, after months of talking and working it out, Crona finally agreed and stopped trying to give them money. Things changed once they found out Maka was pregnant however, and Crona picked up the habit again. This time he was insistent that they needed the money more than he did, with a baby on the way and Maka out of work, but Soul and Maka still refused. They made the point that Crona was also out of work, and he never made that much to begin with. Even with these points made, however, Crona kept leaving money for them, which they would always try to refuse.

It was two weeks after he started leaving money again when he talked about it with Patti in her car one day. She more accurately forced it out of him after asking what was wrong for what Crona counted as over twenty times, but it was easier for him to say that he simply talked to her about it. He explained his dilemma and how bad he felt about it, and Patti devised a series of schemes, all of which involved hiding the money in places where Maka and Soul were bound to find it once he had left the house. The schemes worked to a degree, with Maka and Soul finding money in places like the laundry basket, the medicine cabinet, the refrigerator, the microwave and even inserted into a page of a book Maka was reading. With each finding, the hiding places got more and more ridiculous; this one of course being the most ridiculous.

Soul let out another as and made his way over to the couch with Maka. He sat down next to her slowly.

"We are gonna have to talk to him about this again," Soul stared at the ceiling as he spoke. Then Maka too let out a small sigh.

"I know. He means well by it..." Maka's eyes met the floor. Soul glanced over at her, then placed his arm around her and pulled her close.

"How are you doin' today? You feelin' alright?" Soul spoke as he kissed Maka's forehead. Maka smiled back at him.

"Yeah, I am fine. Just a little sore I guess. I have some ahces and pains every now and then, but its nothing that bad."

"Good, don't want our kid givin' you too much trouble," Soul smiled as he spoke, and slowly allowed his free hand to rub Maka's slightly distended stomach. "You know I reserached how this is the trimester where you are supposed to start feeling some movement. So ... have you?" Soul was genuinely curious. Maka just smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing yet. I still think it is a little bit too early. I only just passed 15 weeks," Maka leaned her head on Soul's shoulder, and Soul tilted his head to lean on hers.

"Yeah... I guess you are right."

For a long time, there was a pleasant pause between them. The just sat in quietude, Soul's arm around Maka's shoulder, and their hand interlocked in between them. But suddenly, the pause became awkward, as a single question entered Maka's mind.

"Hey Soul..." Maka sounded almost hesitant, to Soul's surprise.

"What?"

"Do you... want a boy or a girl?"

The question surprised Soul quite a bit, and his face immediately turned to her to catch her expression. He couldn't read it, but she must have been worried to some degree. He smiled to reassure her.

"Maka, this is our baby. I want it no matter what it is."

"I know that," Maka paused, clearly trying to work out her sentence. "But... do you want one more than the other?"

Soul gave her a baffled look, but then began to think to himself. He had never really thought about whether his child would be a boy or a girl, and thus didn't really think about what he would prefer.

"I never really thought about it," Soul scratched his head as he spoke. "I guess it really doesn't matter to me," He gave Maka a small grin, and Maka gave him a little smile back. "Why? Do you have a preference?"

Maka paused before speaking. "Not really," Maka said softly before nestling closer to Soul. Soul pulled her tighter after she spoke.

"Good. We shouldn't have one I think. That way we are happy both ways."

Soul felt Maka nod against his shoulder, and glanced down to see her eyes lightly closed. He couldn't help but grin at the sight, letting his mind simply enjoy the warmth of her body against his and the sound of her quiet breaths.

Before long, Maka had fallen asleep in his arms. After about an hour, Blair made her way out into the living room and made herself comfortable beside Soul. Soul spent most of the night watching T.V., Blair sleeping on one side of him, Maka sleeping on the other.

* * *

END.

BOY, is this chapter long! And let me just say, I can't spell the word "occasion" to save my life. So if you see it misspelled, I didn't notice it. Hope you guys liked it. Feedback is a virtue. :)


	6. Chapter 6

There is a tiny manga spoiler in this chapter regarding the character Kim, just letting you guys know. So if you haven't read the manga, go read it because it's amazing. :)

* * *

Soul would only become more busy over the next weeks or so, but there was one thing he knew he had to make time to do. He had been putting off meeting with Spirit for several days, and at this point Spirit was becoming far beyond annoying, calling constantly and leaving borderline creepy messages. But Soul had patience with him; Spirit was only a concerned parent and Soul was going to be the father of his grandchild. Spirit had every right to be concerned and relentless.

Soul was able to get off work on this particular day for the occasion. Maka had already made plans to have a sleepover with the girls that night, so Soul would only see her in the early afternoon. Regardless, the thought of seeing her kept him sane during his meeting with Spirit, which he would no doubt talk to Maka about later.

The two of them spent the majority of the day simply talking about the new developments in their lives. The pregnancy was a hot recurring issue of course, but other topics were discussed. Spirit offered financial support to Soul, which he declined, and thus began a talk about finances. Soul brought along pictures of the child to show Spirit, which sent Spirit into joyous hysterics. Soul also told Spirit he recently purchased a car for easier transport, which seemed reasonable to both of them. Soul did not sell his bike however; he wanted to keep it as long as he could. All these issues were of great importance, but one issue weighed on Spirit's mind much more than the others.

The two of them had been walking and had come to an area of few people and with empty benches scattered around. Spirit selected a bench and offered that they sit, to which Soul agreed and sat quietly beside him. After some seconds of sitting, Spirit let out a large sigh and rubbed his hands over his face. Soul glanced over at him.

"You okay?" Soul spoke softly, raising an eyebrow. Spirit didn't respond. He only let out another sigh before uncovering his face. He didn't bother turning to face Soul, he only glanced at him before beginning his sentence.

"I have been looking for her."

Soul was puzzled. "For who?"

Spirit stared at the ground for a minute before answering.

"Maka's mama. I have been looking for Kami."

Soul's eyes grew wide, and he slowly leaned in as if listening to a guarded secret.

Soul and the others had only seen Kami Albarn twice before at this point in time. She had come to the DWMA twice to see Maka while Spirit was away, but each time, she didn't stay longer than a month or two. Everyone met her at least once, but after that, Kami and Maka disappeared and spent the rest of their time one-on-one. Soul only saw Maka when she came home at night, if she came home that is, and she was always all smiles. And it was the week after Kami left that Soul saw Maka at her worst. She barely spoke, she would often ask to be alone, and she would easily get distracted and dazed. Through her enthusiasm and depression, Soul learned the extent of the relationship between Kami and Maka. It was clearly a deep and loving one, but it was one leaving Maka wanting more.

The thought of Kami had popped into Soul's mind even before Spirit brought her up. Recently, Soul noticed that occasionally Maka would become dazed, and he wondered if she was thinking about Kami or something else. Soul theorized that he wanted Kami to be there just as much as Maka did, but he never expressed his opinion on the subject to Maka because it included a degree of negativity. Soul never looked at Kami as the great woman Maka always made her out to be, even after meeting her. Kami had left Maka alone for some of the most important years of her life, and because of that, Soul had a hard time accepting Maka's glorification of her. Regardless, Soul had respect for her; she was still Maka's mother after all, and Maka loved her dearly. Plus, Maka needed her now more than ever, so any news on her was vastly important.

Soul's gaze shifted into one of serious anticipation. "And?... Any news on that front?"

Spirit paused a second before shaking his head. "Not a bit."

The two shared in a moment of silence before Spirit continued. "Kami doesn't want to be found. And when she doesn't want to be found, you can sure as hell bet no one will find her," His tone was serious, and he let out another sigh. "Stein is helping me look also. And Miss Marie. But I don't know if we will find anything. Regardless, I'm not going to stop looking," Soul watched Spirit's hands tighten into fists on his lap. He continued, his voice beginning to crack. "Maka needs her. She doesn't need me like she needs her. Dammit, sometimes I wish that woman would have just left someone with some kind of contact."

Soul sighed, a small anxiety building up in him. It was too bad Maka did not familiarize herself with her mother's wavelength, or this search could have been a lot shorter.

Spirit's voice was now wavering, and Soul thought he heard him sniffle. "I need to find Kami for Maka. Kami means the world to her and she can't miss even more in Maka's life than she already has. Especially not this. Plus...what kind of father would I be if I couldn't find her?"

Spirit lifted his gaze from the ground, tears slowly streaming from the corners of his eyes. Soul was shocked; this wasn't Spirit's usual display of emotion, this was something else all together. It was obvious from his tone and his tears that Spirit was experiencing a new kind of emotional turmoil, one that he may not have ever experienced before. And the sadness was almost infectious.

Soul took a minute to organize his thoughts. Before long, he put his hand on Spirit's back, his face becoming serious as he did so.

"Listen Spirit. I know this is tough, but if she can't be found, you can't show your sadness over it. All we can do is be here for Maka, and you are doing a great job at that..."

Soul paused, and Spirit turned to face him. Spirit's face was stern, a hint of disbelief at his features.

"I am serious. I really appreciate all you have done and are doing for us. It's helping us a lot," Soul paused, his head rolling back to look towards the sky. "And we need it. Maka needs support, and whether she shows it or not, you being there is important to her."

Spirit just stared at Soul for several seconds. After too long, he let out a big breath, his face again meeting the ground.

"I know... I know she appreciates my support," Spirit paused, his voice shaky. "But she needs her mother. She needs Kami's support. I think the least I can do is provide that for her."

Spirit was no longer crying, but his expression was somber, his mind clearly deep in thought. Soul sighed again, stretching out as he spoke.

"Well, all we can do is keep trying. I'm glad you guys are searching for her; hopefully we will get somewhere. Is there anything I can do?"

Spirit almost chuckled. "No way. You have enough on your plate already. All you need to worry about is taking care of my daughter and that child."

Soul caught a hint of some odd determination in Spirit's eyes. It almost sent a shiver down his spine, but he didn't look away. After some seconds, Spirit's stern expression melted away, and he graced Soul with a relaxed smile. Spirit put his hand on Soul's back.

"I am a lucky man. If anyone deserves my Maka, it is you and Crona. You guys are really doing a great job so far."

Soul relaxed himself at that statement, chuckling a little as he thought it over. "Yeah, I guess the three of us do make a pretty good team."

Spirit's smile grew wider. "Just keep taking care of her. And if you need help with anything, please come to me. I'd do anything for Maka."

Soul smiled back at him. "Oh don't worry, I will."

For a couple hours after that, Soul and Spirit began to casually talk again. Spirit was an individual that Soul still felt somewhat uneasy around, but these talks helped him greatly with that. And of course their conversations were made easier by their one common ground; their passionate love for Maka.

* * *

By the time Soul arrived back at the apartment, he felt exhausted. Spirit had drained him of most of his energy, but Maka was ready to rejuvenate him.

As he entered the apartment, he saw Maka sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book and picking at grapes on a plate she left out. Blair sat in the chair next to her, vigorously playing with a toy mouse they had bought her. The sight of the two of them alone was enough to ease Soul's mind, a wide smile crossing his face as he approached the table. As he approached, Maka placed her book down and rose to greet him, all smiles as she did so, the two meeting with a loving embrace. After several seconds wrapped in the hug, they shared in a passionate kiss on the lips. Maka giggled.

"You seem pretty happy today," Soul said between planting kisses on her neck. Maka giggled again.

"Well, its a nice day. And I will be meeting up with the girls soon," She spoke softly, sniffing his hair as he nuzzled underneath her chin. He continued to kiss her, slowly working his way up to her ears. Once there, he let his tongue dance around them, eliciting a series of chuckles from Maka.

"Okay, enough enough. You are tickling me," She said playfully, stepping back to look at his face. His expression was warm and inviting.

"Aw, I was having fun. And I thought you were too," He spoke in a low tone, stepping forward towards her. She rolled her eyes.

"I was, but we don't have time for this. The girls should be here shortly."

Soul then began to put away his bag and jacket as they talked. "Ah, so they are picking you up?"

"Yeah," Maka crossed the room as she spoke, taking a stand by the living room window. "So how did today go?"

"It went well," Soul let out a breath as he spoke. "It was nice, but I am so exhausted now. It's like he sucked the energy right out of me."

"Probably because he is the most emotionally draining person on the face of the planet," Maka said smiling to herself. After that statement, there was a pause which Soul immediately felt awkward about. Maka was staring out the window, her back towards him, and after some seconds she finally spoke.

"He told you, right?" Her voice was low and serious, but it had lost a degree of confidence. "He told you about... my mom?"

Soul sighed. "Yeah, that they can't find her. But there is no reason to worry about it, they are still looking for her."

Maka remained quiet for several seconds before replying. "Yeah... I know."

Her reply was so disheartening that Soul immediately made his way over to her. He came up from behind her and just got a glance of her face in the glass. Her expression was blank, her eyes looked tired or sad, and she still didn't turn to look at him. He let out a heavy sigh, then came up close behind her. He let his head rest on her shoulder, his lips close to her ear, and his hands slipped down her body and stopped gingerly on her stretched stomach. As he embraced her, he felt her relax a bit and lean back on him, the weight of her body now all on his chest. He began to sway a bit, and her hands made their way up and rested on top of his. Soul adjusted his head, his voice a little more than a whisper.

"Hey, I don't want you to be sad. You are so strong, and everyone is here for you."

She let out a sigh, but Soul could see her expressions start to change. She began to smile, her body relaxing even further. Soul carefully pulled her closer, alternating between kissing the side of her cheek and nuzzling her neck. Before long, a small smile crossed her face.

"Thanks Soul."

Those two words were filled with so much emotion, it nearly drove Soul crazy. He let his hands slide off her stomach and work their way up to her shoulders, which he used to turn her around to face him. Her expression was still a little sad, but there was a new happiness to it as well. Soul smiled warmly at her, then planted a kiss on her forehead.

"That's it. Be happy today. Like you said, it's a nice day, right?"

Maka nodded, the sadness disappearing from her expression. "Right. And I guess I should gather my stuff."

Soul took his hands off her shoulders. "Yeah, get ready. I'm gonna miss you tonight."

Maka smiled at him as she made her way to her room. "I am gonna miss you too. What are your plans tonight anyway?"

Soul sat on the couch and let his arms rest behind his head. "Crona and I are gonna chill tonight. I invited him over once I found out you were hangin' with the girls."

Maka peaked her head out from her room briefly. "That's great. No Blackstar or Kid this time?"

"Nah. Kid has work and Blackstar insists on doing this new workout routine he made all day and night. Besides, I kinda want it to be just me and Crona anyway."

After some rustling noises, Maka made her way out into the living room, a backpack wrapped around one arm and a purse in one hand.

"That's nice. Well, you two have fun then. I went shopping for food just the other day so there is plenty of stuff you can make in the fridge."

Soul rose and made his way over to her as she worked her way to the door. "Oh don't worry, we'll have fun. Heading out already?"

"Yeah, they texted me while I was packing," Maka spoke as she adjusted her backpack. Soul pulled her into a hug.

"You have a great day, okay?" He said softly, rubbing her back as he did so. She hugged him back tightly.

"Don't worry, I will," She spoke softly in response. After she detached from the hug, the two shared in a light kiss, and Maka made her way out the door. Soul went over to the living room window, and after several minutes, watched the car of girls drive away.

* * *

The girls had plans for the entire evening, including going out to eat, shopping, and then movies back at Gallows Mansion. They left early because they knew they would stay up late, as is customary at their sleepovers. To start their gathering, they began with a light lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meals except for Patti, who told the waitress she didn't eat for the sole purpose of getting a good reaction. They all had the intention of going to a large grocery store later to pick up junk food, so Patti took the lunch as an opportunity to get a good laugh.

The shopping took longer than expected, but went very well for all of them. Maka bought some maternity clothes, which Tsubaki helped her pick out. It was Maka's first time shopping for such clothes, and while she was not easily embarrassed, something about it made her a bit uncomfortable. But Tsubaki was supportive and spent most of her time with Maka, picking out clothes and finding the right fit. Liz spent her time in a select few stores, looking for and buying make-up products and clothing alike. Patti was all over the mall, seeming to leave no store unvisited. On several occasions, the group had to track her down or call her to find her, but it was something they were used to. They all enjoyed shopping, but each of them seemed to have a different way of going about it, which no one seemed to mind.

On their way back to Gallows Mansion, they picked up groceries at the closest store. Cakes, eggs, milk, chips, pastas, and assorted ice creams were all on the list, plus a variety of other items both for the hang out and for the rest of the week. Despite the large list, they managed to get in and out of the store in a fast manner, all splitting up and meeting back in the center with the items needed.

Just as quickly as the day's festivities had started, they had ended. Before long, they had pulled up to the mansion, each grabbed some bags, and made their way into the large manor.

Upon entering, Patti flew into the kitchen with her bags, readying supplies.

"Come on guys, hurry. I wanna start the food. I'm STARVING," Patti exaggerated her final word by stretching out across the kitchen table. The others followed her slowly, but eventually made their way into the kitchen. Liz rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Hey, calm down. Maybe if you had eaten lunch, you wouldn't have this problem," She spoke calmly, taking everyone's bags and placing them on the table. Tsubaki and Maka took seats while Liz and Patti began to both put items away and prepare to cook.

"I wasn't hungry then. Don't harp on me," Patti said, placing a set of wine glasses on the table. As Patti reached into the fridge and pulled out a glass container of slightly yellowed liquid, Maka frowned.

"Patti, you know I can't drink, and I feel-"

"Chillax, it's sparkling grape juice. You guys want some?" Patti motioned, giving Maka and Tsubaki a wide smile. Liz giggled a little in the background.

"I have hidden most of the alcohol in here anyway, Maka. Don't worry about it."

With their words, Tsubaki and Maka each took a glass, and the gossip began. As Liz and Patti prepared food and played music from Doc's borrowed boom box, they chatted about a variety of topics, from work to future plans and everything in between. Eventually the topic of the boys came up.

"You know Liz, I have to ask. What is going on with you and Kid now? I know you guys are together, but you guys rarely have spare time..." Maka said, a smile on her face as her brows furrowed in confusion. Liz gave a small grin back.

"Yeah, it's a bit tough, but we make it work," Liz spoke as she poured herself a glass of sparkling juice.

Tsubaki leaned in. "But don't you guys need some alone time? I am sure that is hard to come by now."

Liz took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, but we always find it, whether at 2 p.m. or at 2 a.m., we manage. Although sometimes it is draining. Mainly for Kid."

"He is at work tonight, isn't he?"

"Yeah, and he will probably be at the school all night tonight. Said he was working on witch relations with Kim and other witches."

"Kim? I haven't heard about her in a while," Maka spoke up. "How is she? Have you seen her?"

Liz gave a small nod. "I have seen her, and she is doing alright. Working with the school on occasion to help with the incorporation of young witches. And it seems to be going very successful," Liz paused, sipping her drink. "And she is still dating Ox, off and on of course. It's a funny thing they have going."

"Good to hear," Maka smiled, taking a drink as well. After some seconds, Patti turned to face them.

"Dinner's done, just sayin'. Aaaaand I think we should eat it. Now," Patti gathered her plate and fork as she spoke, piling a mound of fettuccine alfredo, chicken, and other foods onto her plate.

The rest followed suit. The four of them all got plates and began to eat, sitting around the table and chatting as they did so. After the meal, Patti and Liz began to clean up, playing music and singing it as they sorted the dishes and Liz prepared a meal for Kid just in case he came home in the late evening. Maka tapped Tsubaki on the shoulder.

"Hey, would we be able to step outside for a minute?" Maka asked with her eyes as well as her words. Tsubaki sensed that she wanted to talk, and excused them both while Liz and Patti cleaned up. The two went to the front steps of the mansion, leaving the door open a crack as they sat on the first set of steps. Tsubaki took a deep breath, enjoying the night air.

"I am glad it's so nice out. So what's up? You wanted to talk?" Tsubaki's tone was cheerful, and she gave Maka an enthusiastic smile. Maka only half-heartedly returned it.

"Yeah...," Maka said, her eyes staring at the steps. After a long pause, Maka brought her knees up a bit, and let her hands rest on them. Her eyes began to focus, and Tsubaki could sense it was serious. She extended a hand and placed it on Maka's back.

"Whatever it is, take your time with it. We have all night," She spoke softly. Maka nodded, but still took several moments before speaking.

"Tsubaki... I'm scared..."

The words almost didn't register with Tsubaki as she heard them. It took her several seconds before she could get out her response.

"You mean...about the pregnancy?" Tsubaki questioned. Maka nodded slowly.

"Yeah... I... I am actually really scared," Maka's words were firm, but a hint of nervousness played with them. Tsubaki began to rub Maka's back.

"There is no reason to be scared. You are doing fine so far, and we are all here if you need us," Tsubaki spoke with confidence.

Maka still didn't meet Tsubaki's eyes. "I know, but it's not like any of you have done this before... it's only me..."

Tsubaki's brows furrowed, and she moved closer to Maka until their legs were touching side by side.

"You are right. It's a new experience for you, and it's something new to all of us really..." Tsubaki paused to collect her thoughts. "But you are not alone in this. Everyone is here to learn with you. We want nothing more than to help you and Soul with anything you need."

"I know you guys can help us, and you guys have been awesome so far, but there are just some things you can't help me with," The last several words almost sounded angry, but the force quickly disappeared into a soft sadness. Maka tilted her head down, hiding her face from Tsubaki with her hair. "I just... I just really wish...my mom was here," Maka leaned forward onto her knees, curling in on herself as much as she could with her small stomach. After some seconds, Tsubaki heard Maka's breathing become heavy, and little sniffles filled the air.

Tsubaki knew Maka was right, there were some things that she couldn't help her with. And she also knew that Maka needed her and Liz now most of all. Liz and Tsubaki were Maka's oldest friends, and they were mature individuals with a good sense of the world and the struggles of life. They had a wisdom that, even when they didn't have any experience on a subject, was useful, and Maka would need it now more than ever.

Tsubaki rubbed Maka's back for several seconds before lifting Maka up with her one arm. Without looking at Maka's face, Tsubaki took her into a small hug, which Maka soon returned, her breathing still heavy.

"I.. I am just going to need your help... a little more," Maka said, her voice shaky. Tsubaki gave her a light squeeze.

"And I will be here to help you as much as you need," Tsuabki rubbed Maka's back. "You need anything at any time and you just let me know."

Tsubaki felt Maka nod into her shoulder. "Thank you."

It was several more minutes before the two released from the hug. They remained on the steps, talking quietly and listening to Liz and Patti sing a variety of songs by bands like Journey, Toto, and REO Speedwagon. After about a half hour, Liz and Patti came out and joined them on the steps, where they sat and talked for some time before going inside a watch a movie.

* * *

Crona had showed up to the apartment about two hours after Maka had left. He brought basic things with him in his backpack, but regardless was prepared for the night. Soul and Crona started out by making some food for themselves, chatting about recent events in their lives and just messing around for a time. After that, they went for a brief walk, for which Soul decided to bring Blair along. For the majority of the walk, she used them as perches, either being around Soul's shoulder or on Crona's head to scout the from above and to get glances at the birds flying by. The three didn't walk far; it was more of a leisurely stroll to enjoy the day.

After arriving back at the apartment, Soul broke out the video games, as was his custom. He and Crona engaged in several games of Halo online, usually being on the same team. Soul enjoyed a variety of video games, but he felt the games he was best at were shooters. Crona was not too fond of video games, especially most of the shooters Soul had showed him. But he was intrigued by the story of Halo, or the idea of an interstellar war between humanity and an alien alliance. Not only was he intrigued, but he was very good at the game, and Soul and him partook in the game from time to time mainly for the storyline. However, on rare occasions, Crona would not mind playing online, and Soul and him would team up to face a wide array of opponents, which they usually crushed.

They had been playing the game for about an hour when Soul noticed that Crona's strategy was becoming sloppy. He was getting jumpy with his trigger, and on occasion he would just stand in the line of fire until bullets rained down upon his character. After too long, Soul paused the game and turned to Crona.

"You alright, man? Your game is sloppy, you wanna stop or play something else?"

Crona was staring at the wall, and after hearing Soul's words, his eyes narrowed a bit, but he didn't speak. Soul raised one of his brows.

"I mean, we don't have to play if you don't want to. I am perfectly content with doing something else. We could just chill if you want."

Crona tilted his head to the floor, still not speaking. Soul took a breath, scratching his head as he did so.

"Hey.. if I did something wrong, you can tell me. Or if something is just bugging you in general..." Soul just looked at Crona. He didn't want to pressure him; to Soul, it was clear that Crona was trying to arrange his thoughts. After several seconds, Crona let out a sigh, his fists tightening in his lap.

"Soul..." Crona's words were soft and wavering, and a slight shaking was beginning all over his body. "Could I... could I talk to you.. about something?"

Soul's eyes went wide for a second, but he quickly shook away his surprised and inched a little closer to Crona.

"Sure, you can talk about anything. What's up?"

Crona continued to stare at the floor. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring his thoughts together. They just kept swirling around in his head, wearing away at his nerves. He bit his lip.

"I... I... uh..." The room suddenly felt too hot, and Crona felt himself becoming more uncomfortable. He tried to take deep breaths to adjust, but it didn't work.

Soul put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey man, don't rush it. We have a while." He tried to comfort Crona with a smile. Crona caught it out of the corner of his eye, but still didn't turn to face him. He didn't want to look at him for this; he didn't want to see his reaction.

Crona took deep breaths for several more moments before he spoke. His words were soft and almost devoid of all strength.

"I... have a problem."

Crona paused again, his heart ready to pound right through his chest. Soul sat patiently, his hand still on Crona's shoulder.

"What kind of problem?"

It was clear that Soul was giving Crona all the time he needed, but Crona still felt a pressure rising in his chest. He went to speak again, his voice initially coming out almost strangled.

"I...I have a problem... with Maka."

Soul was surprised. He had a feeling something was on Crona's mind recently, but he didn't think it had anything to do with Maka. The two of them were always hanging out without any sort of problem, and whenever Soul saw them, he didn't see anything wrong. But regardless, Soul's expression became a little more serious.

"... What kind of problem?" Soul asked, his voice low. He didn't want to seem like he was pressuring Crona, so he didn't ask any more.

Crona felt like he couldn't breathe. He didn't want to be seen or heard, he wished he could just say everything all at once and get it over with. But every time he opened his mouth, his throat would tighten, his would muscles shake, and the room still felt like it was getting hotter.

Then Crona did something he had not done in a long time. Slowly and carefully, he pulled his legs up underneath him, hiding his face beneath his arms resting on his knees. Soul still had his hand on Crona's shoulder, but Crona was now just a little ball on the couch. Crona fidgeted.

"I.. I don't want to have this problem..." His words came out in almost squeaks. Soul couldn't tell if he was crying or just nervous to the point of hyperventilating. "I... I hate it... but I do... and I don't know how to get rid of it."

There was a pause, in which Soul cleared his throat to speak. "What is it? Maybe we can help you with it."

He felt Crona tense underneath his hand. Crona's breathing began to slow.

"I... don't know what to call it... Miss Marie... she said something about... my.. association."

Soul became a little confused. "... What does that mean?"

He felt Crona take a deep breath. "I... I am not sure... but... the word "mother"... or "mom" has a certain meaning to me... and recently... "

As Crona began to talk, everything began to click in Soul's head. Crona had some of the most terrible experiences of his life with the only parent he ever knew; his mother. But he still wasn't sure of it's connection to Maka. He continued to listen.

Crona took deep breaths again. "Just... recently... I don't know... Maka is going to... be a mother. She is the most wonderful person... I have ever met... but because of that... the word "mother"... I don't know how to say this." Crona began to calm, his shaking slowly going away. "The word is doing things to my head... well, according to Professor Stein... This... pregnancy... it has made me think about a lot... I have never been around someone... who was going to have a child before... it just.. raises a lot of questions... about my own childhood... and my-"

"It's okay, you don't need to talk about her," Soul's face was stern, his gaze now directed at the wall. Crona became quiet, his shakes almost entirely gone. He was so quiet that Soul almost became worried.

"It's just... do you think... Med-... she ever cared about me like that?... I don't know if she ever did... Was she ever... excited about being... a mother? Or was I just-"

"Crona, it's okay. You don't need say anything," Soul's voice was still low and serious. Everything was coming together in his mind. In some ways, the word "mother" was almost a taboo to Crona. It was the one word he was never allowed to use on the one person that could have held the title. His experiences with his mother easily surpassed the horrors of many people's nightmares, but the twisted love he had for her still existed in some shape or form, even if it didn't exist now. He couldn't attach the word "mother" to just anyone, and the one person whom it should have been attached to ruined any good meaning the word could have had. And now Maka was going to take on the title, the taboo title that carried a good deal of Crona's terrible childhood memories with it.

"Is this what brought about your incident in the alley? All these thoughts?"

Crona flinched as Soul spoke, his chest almost too tight to breathe. "Please Soul... don't be mad at me..." Crona felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes. Soul glanced over at him, his stern face melting into a small sigh. "I didn't mean it... I didn't..."

His voice disappeared in his throat, his eyes now shut tight. "All I can think about is her... every time I hear the word... I try not to... but I can't... I..." His voice disappeared again, this time in a sharp breath he had to take.

Soul sat for a second, then slid in the seat right next to Crona, wrapping his arm around Crona's shoulders and pulling Crona close to him. He let out a deep breath.

"There is no reason to be sorry, and there is no reason to blame yourself for anything," Soul spoke slowly and tenderly. "This is not a problem you have with Maka as much as it is a problem you have with your memories. I don't want you to think this is going to affect your relationship with Maka because it won't."

"But it already has..." Crona said, sniffling as he lifted his head to meet Soul's gaze. "I.. I am glad she is going to be a mother... she is going to be... so wonderful... but my thoughts..."

"I know, but you know you don't owe Medusa anything," Crona hissed as Soul spoke, almost as though the name hurt him to hear. Soul continued. "That woman may have been your flesh and blood, but that's about it. When you joined up with us, we supported you and you supported us. We learned from each other and we cared about each other. And we still do all of these things. That's what a family does too; in ways, we are our own family. And she is not part of our family, not even in your memories. You don't even owe her the courtesy of a word. Maka is going to be a mother, so I think the best thing to do about this is to try and start fresh. You have an opinion of the word mother already, you have a person to associate it with; lets rewrite that. Looking at what Maka is doing as what a mother would might be a good way to help you rewrite the definition in your head," Soul then paused, glancing around before looking at Crona again. "But... that's just an idea."

Crona stared at Soul for a minute, then averted his gaze, wiping his nose on his hand as he did so. "I... don't think its that simple... I just wish I could fix this right now... but.. there is no way..."

Soul sat still a second, then stood and crossed the room. He grabbed a nearby tissue box and brought it back with him, placing it before Crona, which Crona promptly utilized.

"Yeah.. your right. But maybe we can start trying something," Soul leaned back on the couch, his thoughts swimming. "I just don't want you to ever be sad or something like that. I don't want you to ever think of her... but I know that its not something either of us can help," Soul glanced over at Crona. "But I want to help you in any way I can. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do... but I kinda wanna do something..."

Crona had used a whole bunch of tissues by now, all of which were in a pile neatly in front of him. He looked over to Soul, his eyes still discolored from crying.

"Well, talking to Miss Marie has helped... but.. maybe the rewrite idea could work too... I just think it will take a while...," Crona glanced to the side, his thoughts clearly rearranging again.

Soul smiled at him. "Well, if you think you need any help, or anyone to talk to about this, I'm here for you. I'm here whenever you need me."

Crona gave his best smile back. "Thanks... I appreciate it... and Soul?"

Soul turned to look at Crona. Crona fidgeted again, his eyes wandering about the room. "Could we... just keep this... between the two of us?"

Soul nodded. "Of course man, it'll be a secret." Soul had no intention of telling Maka anyway. She didn't need additional stress, and the idea that she might be associated with Medusa in any way, even without malice or intention, would probably burden her more than it needed to in this case.

Soul grinned, Crona glancing over at him as he did so. Soul stood up from the couch. "I think I am gonna have a drink or something. You want anything?"

"Sure," Crona's voice was low, but more confident than before. Soul motioned him with his hand.

"Hey, stand up a sec."

Crona slowly rose to his feet as ordered, his posture somewhat slouched. Without pause, Soul closed the space between them with a hug, which caught Crona by surprise. Soul would hug him occasionally, but it was always a bit startling because it appeared very unlike Soul to Crona. Regardless, it was somehow... nice, and Crona returned it lightly for a few seconds before Soul let go.

"I'm glad we talked. I had a feeling something was bothering you. And if you ever have any more problems, you know you can talk to me about them. We cool?" Soul questioned with a smile before crossing the room to get to the refrigerator. Crona simply nodded back at him, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Cool," Soul responded, passing Crona a coke as he made his way back over to the couch. "So.. what do you say we pick the game back up for a while? Get our minds off of things? Then we can chill more later."

Crona nodded as he opened his can. "That sounds... good."

After only a few minutes, the two were back to playing Halo. They played for a couple hours before deciding to go out for a late night walk. They chatted, laughed, and just enjoyed the night air for several hours before returning home again. The cool breeze and the light of the moon was a nice atmosphere to clear their heads and just relax in each other's company.

* * *

By the way, I changed the layout of Maka and Soul's apartment a little bit, but only a little bit. I figure in five years time, they probably did some remodeling.

Lots of drama in this chapter. Lots of crying and "mother" things. Fluff and adorableness to come.

And yeah, I don't think it would be easy for Crona if Maka was going to be a mom. The only mom he ever knew was a psychopath, so of course some inner turmoil would ensue from such a thing. All I am saying is that if you are beaten and psychologically tormented in your youth by a guy named Rick, and then some years later you meet a guy named Rick, it wouldn't exactly be easy for you to hear the name without thinking of your tormentor. Same principle.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Feedback is a virtue. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Small chapter - just a little transition.

And sorry for the lateness of my update, but on the plus side, after this little chapter, we have a whole bunch of new chapters FILLED with goodies to come. :3

* * *

In recent months, Liz had grown accustomed to staying up late and sleeping at any time. She had a decent sleep routine going for a while, but as she and Patti began working at night with Kid, sleep became sporadic. She had stayed up late at the sleepover, with Maka going to sleep first, then Patti, and Tsubaki and Liz fell asleep at about the same time. This staying up late didn't stop her from getting up at 11:00 a.m. however. She awoke in her bedroom, only a little groggy; she supposed she would catch up on sleep with a nap later. She descended the stairs and entered the living room area where they had all gathered the night before, finding it spotless. Kid mentioned to her that he would be there in the morning, so she supposed this was his work. If only she could have cleaned it up for him.

On the living room couch slept Patti, sprawled out with covers all over the ground and pillows mounded on top of her. Patti had always been a crazy sleeper, and a heavy one too. Once she was asleep, it took forever to wake her up and get her moving. Plus she had a habit of sleeping for longer periods of time than normal, probably because of her involving activities during the day.

Liz walked up to the mound of pillows and blankets, nudging it softly.

"Hey Patti, you should get up," Liz spoke softly. The lump didn't budge. "Come on now, it's 11 am, I'm making breakfast."

A series of soft groans was heard as Patti maneuvered beneath the sheets. Liz smiled, and made her way into the kitchen area to start making food. As she entered, she noticed a note in the center of the table, small and with little writing on it. She approached the table and took it in her hand, only needing to glance at it to read it in full.

"Work. Sorry."

Liz said the words quietly with a sigh. She realized Kid was busy, but getting these notes was still a tad disheartening for her. Kid always made it a point to leave a note for her and Patti if he had to leave at any time. But as time went on, his notes became shorter and shorter. What started as a long and descriptive series of pages dwindled over time into one or two words smack in the middle of a blank page. Liz knew it was because of how busy he was, but it was so different from his nature that she worried about it.

But she tried not to worry about it now. She placed the note down and before long, began making a large breakfast. Patti eventually made her way into the kitchen, her person a mess, a blanket wrapped around her. She sat quietly at the table, placing her head upon it and occasionally sniffing the air. Eventually she spoke.

"Kid not here?"

Liz turned to her, readying a plate of bacon and pancakes. "Yeah, see the note?"

Patti lifted her head to catch the note upon the table, then placed herself back down with a thud.

"One day, he will be home with us to eat breakfast. It will be great," Sarcasm laced Patti's voice. Liz chuckled a bit.

"Hey, he was home for breakfast a couple days ago. But I know what you mean," Liz's thoughts began to drift. She put a plate of food in front of Patti before sitting with her own plate, and the two ate slowly as they chatted.

"You know, we need more times like last night," Patti said as she drenched her pancakes in syrup. "I feel like we haven't had that many hangouts lately. It sucks dicks."

Liz nodded. "Yeah I know, but we are never free. And you are usually with Doc when you are free anyway."

"Touche," Patti nodded as she stuffed the last piece of pancake into her mouth. "So where did everyone go? It's still early..."

"Not that early," Liz spoke between bites. "Tsubaki told me she was going to be leaving pretty early to do a mission or training or something with Blackstar. And Maka told me that Soul was free today, so he probably picked her up or something."

"I getcha," Patti rose as she spoke, taking her plate and putting it in the sink. Liz smiled at her.

"Oh what is this? Putting your plate in the sink are we? How unusual."

Patti rolled her eyes and smiled. "Shut up. I am trying to be nice here. Maybe I want to change my ways."

"Well, thank you," Liz followed suit, placing her plates in the sink also. Patti stretched, the blanket dropping from her shoulders to the floor.

"Alright, well I have plans with Doc later. Want to play cards shortly-ish?"

Liz nodded. During their youth, it wasn't uncommon for the two of them to play cards together. They played many games, but the card games were the easiest for them to come by. Throughout their lives, they continued to play a variety and even amend of card games, as a way to bond and now for the nostalgia.

"I will go get the decks upstairs. What are you thinking?" Patti said curiously, picking up her blanket and making her way to the door.

Liz thought. "Not sure. We haven't played our version of 7s in a while. How about it?"

"Why not?" Patti said with a salute to Liz as she walked through the door. Liz just smiled, taking another drink of her orange juice before starting to wash the dishes.

* * *

Maka and Soul had plans to take a walk that day, but stopping at the apartment was the first item on the list. Soul had to pick up a jacket, and he encouraged Maka to pick up her hoodie as well. The day wasn't as much cold as it was windy.

The two shuffled through the house, collecting their clothing. Maka met Soul in the kitchen once she had changed. He adjusted his jacket, leaning in and kissing Maka as he did so. She blushed a bit.

"I forgot to ask, how was your time with the girls?"

Maka paused for a minute, recollecting the evening as Soul zipped up.

"It was nice. It's so rare that we all get to hang out with each other like that."

"Yeah, but everyone should be freeing up more. Except for me of course," Soul said with a smirk. Maka grinned back.

"Hopefully so. We just talked and watched movies and what not, but it was... well, it was what I needed."

"Glad to hear it," Soul spoke softly, closing the space between him. He held her hands in his, and they hung between them as they gazed at each other. Maka spoke before long.

"And how was your time with Crona?"

Soul stiffened for a second. He recollected as well, everything from the first walk to the talk in the living room. He took a moment.

"It was good. We chilled, played video games, you know, that sort of stuff," Soul spoke with confidence. Just then, his demeanor changed, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out his ipod. "Oh, and before we go, I want to play a song or two for you."

Maka's brows furrowed for just a second. "Right now? Why not later after the walk?"

"I will play after the walk too," Soul said, looking through his songs and taking Maka by one hand. "Come on, over to my keyboard."

Maka smiled as she was slowly lead into his room. "So why do you suddenly want to play for me? You don't usually want to play this easily."

Soul didn't answer until they were in his room, next to his keyboard. He turned it on before speaking, his fingers lightly sliding over the keys. Maka took a seat on the nearby bed, a look of curiosity on her face.

"Are you... going to tell me? Or is it a secret or something?" She said playfully, her hands folding on her lap. Soul smiled to himself, turning to meet her.

"Oh it's no secret," His tone was rather upbeat, and he approached her slowly as he cracked his hands, readying for his performance. "I just want our kid to hear my music."

Maka sat still for a second, her face becoming red. Soul took the seat beside her.

"I am not gonna be around that much in the coming weeks. They say music is good for kids and this is the time when babies are gonna start hearing sounds and responding to them. I figure our kid could start getting a musical ear. I don't know, just an idea."

He smiled warmly at Maka, a blush still showing on her cheeks. Soul chuckled a bit.

"Plus I don't want our baby listening to your music all the time. No offense."

Maka rolled her eyes, the blush leaving her cheeks, but a smile crossing her face. "It's not that bad. You guys always get on me about it, but seriously..."

Soul just smiled, again closing the space between them as he moved on the bed. As he moved in, Maka also grew closer, and before long, the two were sharing a passionate kiss. Soul's hands found their way into Maka's hair, and her hands rested lightly on the sides of his waist. Eventually, Soul paused his kissing and let his hands slide down until they nipped at the ends of Maka's shirt. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted it to reveal her small bulging belly. They both stared for a minute in some form of wonder and awe before Soul finally got down on one knee, his face almost level with Maka's stomach. He allowed his hands to caress her, his touch soft and gentle upon her skin. Maka simply watched him, and Soul occasionally would catch her warm expression in his peripheral. Before long, he cleared his throat and leaned in until his ear was against her stomach.

"Alright kid, I am going to play you a song, so you should probably listen in," Maka giggled a little. Soul continued. "It's not one of my own pieces yet, you will get to hear those later though, I promise."

"I think he gets the picture," Maka said softly with a small chuckle, her hand sliding through Soul's hair. Soul paused, putting Maka's shirt down and rising so he was standing before her. His face was a tad puzzled.

"... He?" Soul spoke quietly, his voice a little shaky with confusion. Maka's eyes drifted, her mind in thought.

"Well... I don't know, I get the feeling it is a boy."

Soul was also clearly in thought, but he eventually shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "If you say so. I was actually thinking it was a girl."

Maka grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting. Any reason?"

Soul thought. "Nah, not really. You just tell me that you feeling the kid moving all the time. I think its gonna be like you that way."

Maka laughed a little bit. "Reasonable, we will see."

"Yes we will," Soul turned to the piano, playing a couple chords as a warm up. Just as he was about to play, Maka heard him give a little gasp, his hands going behind his head.

"Oh, Maka, I almost forgot, I got something for Crona recently that I want to show you first."

Maka's eyes lit up for a second, her interest clearly piqued. Soul then went over to his closet, shuffling around as he reached into its depths. After a few seconds, he pulled out what Maka recognized as a guitar bag. After unzipping it, he pulled out the black-finished instrument, and Maka's face lit up.

"You got him a guitar?" She was surprised, but clearly happy about it. Soul nodded.

"A bass guitar, yeah. It's an Ibanez Soundgear to be exact. It belonged to a friend of mine, but he was selling it pretty cheap, so I decided to go on ahead and grab it."

Soul had been teaching Crona some basic piano over the past year, and Crona was picking up on it quite fast. Learning to read music was still proving difficult for him, but he seemed to have a knack for improvising. He was always making melodies or organizing chords, and his understanding of music structure impressed Soul. It took a long time for Soul to think about what kind of instrument would suit Crona, but also would be a nice starting instrument for him. After not only asking Crona, but researching some other instruments, he figured a bass guitar was a good way for him to start. It was a low instrument, and although it would sometimes go unheard, many musicians agree that it is one of the most important instruments in any kind of band.

Maka had now risen from the bed and approached Soul, looking over the instrument as she did so. Soul maneuvered the guitar so Maka could see all of it's sides.

"I just think he will really enjoy this. He has the perfect hands for playing piano or guitar. Long thin fingers, but muscular and what not. Plus I have a key board that he can play any time if he doesn't like it."

Maka plucked at the strings as he talked. "I think he is going to love it. When are you going to give it to him?"

Soul shrugged, beginning the process of zipping the guitar back into it's case. "Not sure, I was thinking the next time I see him, but I don't know. I will find a good time."

He let his thoughts swim as he put the guitar back into his closet. He then made his way over to his piano chair, Maka standing right beside it. He glanced at her as he took his seat.

"Not going to sit on the bed?"

"Wouldn't you like our child to have a front row seat?" Maka said, her smile wide. Soul giggled a bit, his head tilting back so that his eyes could meet hers fully.

"I can't argue with that."

After some seconds, Soul began to play. He started with a piece which Maka recognized as "Coming Home" by Peter Kater. Maka was not very fond of New Age music, but she had fallen in love with the song ever since Soul showed it to her. From there, Soul went on to play piano songs of all kinds of genres, although mostly jazz, and Maka stood by, making sure she and their child could hear every note.

* * *

END.

I am a huge fan of Peter Kater, so I couldn't help but slip him in there. Also, I believe he is a crazy talented piano artist, and it just seems like Soul would enjoy his speed and style. Plus I don't think Soul listens to only one genre, but it is made obvious that he prefers jazz.

If you guys are inetered in knowing what that piece sounds like, you can just look it up on youtube. Peter Kater has his own channel, and plays the song himself in the video.

Hope you guys enjoy. Feedback is a virtue. :3


	8. Chapter 8

The picture was discolored, but the shape could still be made out. Before Maka, Soul, and Crona's eyes was the shape of Maka and Soul's unborn child, the head slightly rounded and the body small and fuzzy. The image decorated the screen to the right of them, which the nurse occasionally tilted so that they could all get a closer look.

Crona, Soul, and Maka had just stared at the baby's image for the first five to ten minutes of the ultrasound appointment. Seeing the child for the first time was mesmerizing for all of them, and appreciating the beauty of this new life seemed to be all they could manage. It was yet another new experience; before them was a being that was part of both Maka and Soul, and before long it would enter into the world and exist as a separate entity. It would live, love, grow, and become its own person, yet it would always share some part of Maka and Soul. These thoughts swam through all of their minds, even though they didn't discuss them previously. Before long, Maka and Soul broke the awed silence and gaze, only to admire the picture. Crona, like Maka and Soul, also couldn't help but stare, but even after Maka and Soul had snapped out of their daze, Crona couldn't seem to take his eyes away.

As Maka and Soul admired the image, the nurse moved the transducer slowly over Maka's stomach until the baby's image was seen in full. She smiled at the young couple.

"Would you all like to know the gender?"

Maka and Soul snapped their heads at the question, wide smiles crossing both of their faces.

"Yeah. I am still betting it's a girl," Soul sat back a bit, running one hand through his hair as he leaned back in his seat beside Maka. Maka's grin only became wider as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I am not sure, I am thinking it's a boy. What do you think, Crona?"

It was the first time they addressed him since they entered the room, and they found him still fixated on the image of the child on the screen. Soul snapped his fingers in front of Crona's nose. Crona's eyes fluttered, his gaze suddenly shifting to Maka.

"I'm sorry, did someone say something?"

"What do you think the baby is? A boy or a girl?"

The question was asked lightheartedly, but Crona's brain began to stir. He hadn't thought about the child actually having a gender before, and imagining something so serious about a being that wasn't there, but would be there later, made Crona feel slightly anxious. But he tried to picture their lives. He pictured Maka, years in the future, perhaps walking a little boy in the park. Or Maka with a little girl, watching the child as she played on the swings. As he imagined, the situation with the little girl began to take shape. She would be small, but Crona pictured her to be energetic, running around the little park, enjoying every aspect of it. The girl had blonde hair, just like Maka's, and a little smile that resembled her mother's as well.

Crona began to blush at the thought. Soul chuckled as he watched the blush creep on to Crona's cheeks.

"So.. what do you think?"

Crona took a gulp, a small smile tugging at his lips as he opened his mouth to speak.

"A girl."

Soul patted Crona on the back, snickering a bit as he did so.

"See, Maka? Crona knows what's goin' on. High five!"

The two of them high fived, and Maka rolled her eyes yet again, though her smile was still wide. After the decisions were made, they all faced the nurse, eyes slightly widened in anticipation. The nurse peered at the screen, then slowly turned to the three waiting individuals.

"Well, it looks like the boys are right. It's a girl."

The three of them had a small celebration in that moment. Kisses were exchanged, loving touches were given, all simply reveling in the fact that Maka and Soul would soon have a daughter. Soul had no preference, but something about having a little girl made him almost excited as well as happy. He could also foresee himself becoming more protective, though he wasn't sure why. Regardless, the three were ecstatic, and let their enthusiasm briefly take over. It was only once the burst of elation had died down that Soul addressed Maka jokingly.

"See? I told you so."

"You didn't know any more than I did," Maka said jokingly back as the nurse put away the equipment. Soul and Crona both helped Maka sit up, the three forming a small circle by the edge of the medical bed. They all couldn't stop smiling, and the atmosphere seemed thick and warm.

After some minutes, the nurse briefed them on the procedures that would follow the months to come. Maka and Soul made a preregistration date at the hospital and arranged for another check up within the next two months. Diet guidelines were given, though Maka told the nurse she researched and had already switched to more nutrient-rich foods. After the planning had all been settled, Maka, Soul, and Crona left the hospital, all holding hands and enjoying the weather as they made their way through the city.

It wasn't 10 minutes into the stroll that Maka's phone began to ring. She reached into her pocket to glance over the caller, Soul and Crona leaning over her shoulder to check as she did so. It was Liz, to which everyone only smiled. Maka slowly opened the phone and put it to her ear as they walked.

"Hey Liz... oh, it went very well," Maka said, nodding as she peered at Soul and Crona. Soul and Crona both smiled as they listened to Maka's end of the conversation. She continued.

"... They just, you know, looked me over, briefed me on the procedures... Yeah, we did...it's perfect, size and everything... Yes we did," Maka glanced at Soul and Crona, almost giggling as she did so. They had paused their walk, all eager to hear what Liz and Patti had to say on the other line.

"...Well, we are going to have a baby girl...," After some seconds, Maka let out a small laugh as she listened. Crona and Soul became excited.

"Hey, what did she say?" Soul asked quietly. Maka was still laughing.

"I just hear cheers and noises. I don't even know what is going on over there," Maka finished her sentence quickly, again focusing on her phone conversation.

"... Is that Patti?... Why is-?... You guys placed bets?" Maka rolled her eyes as she spoke; this time Soul let out a laugh. "Well, now you have to tell me who bet what... Wait, was everyone involved?... So you and Blackstar have to treat everyone?... You guys are ridiculous... Yes, that makes me ridiculous too... Actually, yeah, I am free at some point... That would be great. Crona will be with me too... Okay, see you then... Bye."

Maka slipped her phone back into her pocket, still giggling from the conversation. Crona and Soul each took one of Maka's hands, and they continued their walk.

"I am sure you heard that everyone placed bets...," Maka spoke with a slight hint of sarcasm, shaking her head as she spoke. Soul chuckled.

"Yeah, and Liz and Blackstar lost I guess?" He questioned.

Maka nodded. "Yeah, and now they have to treat everyone to dinner in this coming week. They invited us obviously. I know you can go, Crona. Soul, will you be free at all?"

Maka turned to Soul as she asked the question. There was something in her face, almost like a longing or a quiet anticipation, and Soul could only look at her for a second before he felt the need to look away. Something about the yearning in her eyes made him almost... sad.

He shook his head, his eyes facing the ground. "No, I will be working. Kid will probably be too."

Maka's smile drifted, but she gave his hand a light squeeze. "Well, it's alright. I will bring you back something."

Soul lifted his head, though he still felt a light aching in his chest. "Thanks."

Their walk continued peacefully until they arrived back at Maka and Soul's apartment. Baby thoughts were still on all of their minds, with baby names and future plan ideas laced into every conversation topic. After just a half hour of being home, Soul began to prepare his materials for work. He gathered his items on the table, and began arranging them.

"I won't be back tonight until 11p.m. most likely, if at all. Kid told me it was going to be a busy day and night," Soul spoke calmly, zipping up a light jacket. "What are you guys planning for today?"

Maka and Crona briefly looked at each other before Crona spoke up.

"I was thinking... maybe a movie. Then lunch, then we could go to my house. I need to stop by there at least..."

Maka nodded, smiling at both of them. "Sounds like a plan."

As Soul made his way to the door, Maka and Crona got up to say their goodbyes for the day. Soul took Crona firmly by the hand, his face meeting Crona's with a smile.

"Take care of her today, okay?" Soul spoke with as much confidence as he could. Crona just looked him over for a moment, then nodded firmly.

"I always do."

"I know you do," Soul said, bringing his hand back to his side. Maka then approached him, planting a kiss on his cheek and embracing him as he paused at the door. Soul nuzzled his head against her neck.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I will be back tomorrow night," Maka said softly, giving him another kiss before they detached from the hug. Soul nodded, and after a final goodbye, he was gone.

* * *

Crona and Maka spent some time in the living room talking before Maka began to gather her things. It had been a while since she had stayed at Crona's apartment, and spending the night there would be a nice change.

As she prepared her bag in her room, Crona sat quietly on the couch, deep in thought.

"You know...," His voice was clear and loud, but it had an air of uncertainty in it. "If you don't want to see a movie, we don't have to. It was... just an idea."

"No, I want to," Maka reassured him, coming into the parlor area with a full bag on her back. "I mean, we have been watching a lot of movies lately, but it has been a while since I went to the movie theater. I am not even really sure what is out."

"I can call ahead if you want to check," Crona said, his voice softening to its normal volume. After some seconds, he rose from the couch and made his way over to Maka, extending one hand to her. She looked puzzled.

"What is it?"

"Can I carry your bag? I mean... I would like to."

Maka normally didn't accept such offers, but from Crona, she always did. He was always thinking of others; Maka had never met someone so selfless. She knew that he wouldn't make gestures, big or small, unless they really meant something to him, and this thought always comforted Maka. Plus, now that Maka was pregnant, Crona was always offering to do things for her, even the unnecessary and ridiculous. If she let him do these small gestures, then maybe he would be more likely to let go of the bigger ridiculous ones. Plus, she wasn't always immune to stress, and often appreciated his help.

Maka smiled at him warmly. "Thanks Crona."

She handed off the bag to him, which he promptly slung over his bony shoulders. He adjusted a bit before he straightened out again.

"I can call once we get outside. My service is not usually very good in here..." Crona said with a small glance to the window. Maka nodded, taking one of his hands in hers as she made her way to the door.

"That's fine. Do you want to stop at your place first? I could drop off my things, and you can get whatever you needed to get."

Crona thought for a minute. "Sure, that would be fine."

He smiled at her, and she at him. After some seconds, Maka made her way over to him and nuzzled up against him, her head resting by his shoulders. He let one of his hands drift up to her face, and he began to caress it lightly.

"Are you... alright?" Crona sounded nervous.

He heard Maka almost chuckle, her head nuzzling further into his shoulder. "I am fine. No need to worry. I am just happy to be with you today."

He could tell she was smiling, even without seeing her face. Her voice was always so cheerful and warm, every word she spoke hit his heart like a soft wave of happiness. He could only smile to himself at her reply, and allowed his head to rest on top of hers. For some seconds, he indulged in the warmth of her body and the scent of her hair before stepping back, making sure to show her his grin.

"We should probably get going. I don't think... there are many showings today."

Maka nodded. "It depends on the movie, but we should check anyway."

The two continued their conversation about movies as they stepped out the door, allowing it to softly click closed behind them.

* * *

Maka loved seeing movies with Crona. While Crona was often quiet, he would occasionally get very emotional, and movies sometimes had a way of bringing out this emotion. He didn't seem to have a favorite genre either, although he wasn't always fond of comedies and horror films. Regardless of his preference, he always found himself connecting with characters and getting into stories when the plots were well done, and Maka loved that about him. His empathy spilled into his consumption of fiction, something Maka also found herself doing, though more often with her books.

The movie they had picked this time was an action film that neither of them had seen previews for. It had several main characters and a story filled with drama and exploration, which kept Crona and Maka wanting more. The climax was beautiful, though it involved the death of two characters, a boy and a girl, to which Crona sympathized. By the end of the film, both Maka and Crona were in tears, though Crona's sniffles lasted far beyond the ending of the movie.

They talked all about the story and characters at lunch and on the way back to Crona's apartment. Maka never cried when it came to battles, wounds, grades, or even family matters. But on occasion, a sad movie would choke her up, which baffled Crona to no end. To him, Maka could never be sad; she was always fearless and ambitious, an unwavering and stable force in his universe. Yet for some movies, she would let the tears flow, using just as many tissues and sniffling just as much as himself.

The two walked hand in hand now, making their way back to Crona's apartment.

"I don't mind their deaths... I mean, I understand why the creator did it, it just... that stuff gets me every time," Crona said, sniffling and glancing at the ground as he spoke. Maka chuckled a bit.

"Like I said, me too. Do you need a tissue? I am sorry I don't have one. We can stop somewhere..."

"No, it's okay. I am fine. Plus my house is not far now..."

The two walked for a little bit longer before Maka caught sight of a little park a couple streets away. She recognized it as a park she and Crona had passed many times on walks, but never stopped to see what was there. She stopped her walking as she thought, Crona turning to her.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I am just curious about that park. Do you have to be back home right away?"

Crona glanced into the distance, catching a glimpse of the tops of swing sets and thick green trees. He looked over at Maka, her expression alert, her eyes slightly focused. He smiled a bit.

"No I don't. Would you like to stop there?"

Maka looked to him and nodded before they began their walk, changing direction towards the park.

* * *

It wasn't very big, but there was something about it that Maka almost admired. It was quaint, with many elements of the park seeming to be made of old wood. There were several benches and trees surrounding a small play area for kids, containing some slides, swings, and a smooth metal jungle gym.

Maka walked slowly through the park, admiring its features, almost examining it at times. Crona watched from a nearby tree as she walked. In those moments, he began to really look at her and see her beauty. Her hair was down, the golden locks resting lightly on her small framed shoulders. Her eyes glistened in the light, a sharpness added to them as she lightly tread the area around the the children's area. She walked carefully, gently, a warm wind occasionally nipping the ends of her capris and light v-neck t-shirt. Sometimes she would glance at him, a huge smile on her face, and when she did, he could feel his cheeks get hot and his mouth start to curve upward. She was just so beautiful and wonderful, how could anyone not love her?

After several walks around the area, Maka made her way back to Crona. They grinned at each other as she stood next to him.

"Do you like it?" Crona spoke softly, a blush coming to his cheeks as he looked at her.

"Yeah, I do. It's... just very cute. I wanted to see it because, I don't know, I might be spending a lot of time here soon," Maka looked over the park again as she spoke, her one hand resting on top of her stomach. Crona glanced it over before he spoke.

"It's a nice park. I often see people with children here when I am out for a walk."

"That's good to know," Maka's voice became quiet as her free hand reached for Crona's. "How about we sit for a bit? We have time, right?"

"Sure."

Crona and Maka walked to a nearby bench under a tree and took seats, sitting side by side in the shade of the tree's branches. Their hands were interlocked in the middle of them, their bodies touching at the hip and legs. After some minutes of watching the the area in silence, Maka let out a deep breath, and allowed her head to rest on Crona's shoulder. He could feel her beginning to relax, her breaths steadying, her head adjusting for comfort. The warmth of her cheeks and breaths on his shoulder and neck caused him to blush, and before long, he allowed his head to rest lightly on top of hers. It was a perfect moment for Crona. The sun was shining, yet the shade of the trees kept the area cool. Small birds explored the trees branches above them, occasionally singing to their companions. Maka was with him, relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere. Everything was perfect, and even though he knew they would soon get up to leave for his apartment, he almost wanted the moment to continue forever.

* * *

Liz and Patti had the day off, and had been waiting to hear from Kid to hang out. Liz knew he would be working late into the night, but she was hoping she would see him around dinner time. He had called earlier in the day to let her know he would be stopping by around that time, and Liz took it as a good opportunity to make him something nice for dinner, even if he couldn't stay long.

Liz and Patti took it upon themselves to go shopping before Kid came home. They had been running low on most foods, and figured it would be a good time to stock up. They had spent an hour or so at the store, before they began their drive back, the car top down and the music blaring all the way.

Between and sometimes during songs, the two would catch up. As "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners began to blast through the speakers, Liz stopped her singing to talk.

"So are you and Doc going out again tonight? Seems you guys go out almost every night."

"Nah, not this time. Just gonna be chillin' at home. Wanna' do something?" Patti piped, bobbing her head to the music as she spoke.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" Liz chuckled, balancing her focus between the intersection before her and the conversation.

"Not really sure yet. I have to think. Can I have some booze tonight?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "I'll think about it. You went a little too crazy last time you got ahold of it."

"I know, which is why I am changing my ways. How am I ever gonna learn to drink responsibly if I never drink?"

"Don't pull that with me, Patti," Liz's voice was firm, though still soft. "I know what your saying. But sometimes you just gotta learn things the hard way, you know that."

"Oh please," Patti threw her hands into the air for emphasis. "This is barely the hard way to begin with."

"Oh? Do you want it to be harder? I am trying to teach you a lesson here, Patti."

"A lesson? A lesson in safe drinking? You wanna teach me a lesson in safe driving too, Ms. Puts lipstick on and texts at the same time?"

"Hey now, I watch the road. I text safely." Liz still spoke softly and playfully. She knew Patti had a point, but was enjoying the banter.

"There is no such thing as texting safely, retard," Patti almost exclaimed, stopping her small dancing as the song disappeared from the speakers.

Liz shot Patti a smile, which Patti quickly returned before the two of them burst into small fits of giggles. Patti then began to look through Liz's ipod to change the song as Liz adjusted in her seat.

"Well, I already said I'll think about it. We'll see."

"Alright alright," Patti sounded annoyed, but Liz knew she being playful. "By the way, you know I need to ask, did you and Kid, you know, do the nasty last time I was out?"

Liz's hands tightened on the wheel for a second. She didn't mind talking about this kind of thing with her sister. She knew the that she could tell Patti anything. But still, the topic made her uneasy, especially with Kid always out at work in recent times.

"Well, no, not really."

"Did he see your boobies?"

Liz laughed at the question. "Yes, he saw them. We didn't go that far though."

"Did you tickle his pickle?"

"Alright, Patti, I get it. And enough with the metaphors or whatever."

"Sorry, I had to."

The conversation went silent for a second as they pulled into Gallows Manor. Liz closed the top and turned off the engine before realizing that Patti was staring at the dashboard. Her expression was almost blank.

"What is it, Patti?"

Patti's eyes narrowed briefly before her face turned to Liz, her expression alert, but somewhat sad.

"I miss him. I mean, I miss him being around. I just wish the three of us could hang out more sometimes. I know he is busy and all that. I just hope this busy-ness doesn't last forever."

Liz paused before letting out a sigh. She had been missing Kid a lot lately as well. Not that she wasn't seeing him, but their time always seemed to be cut short. She didn't think Patti felt the same way however.

Liz reached over and allowed her hand to rest on Patti's shoulder. "Don't worry, it won't. I don't think he will be busy like this much longer. Things will go back to normal soon."

Patti sat still for a minute before giving her sister a wide smile and a firm nod. The two then gathered their groceries and entered the manor, eager to start preparations for dinner in case Kid showed up.

It wasn't until Liz and Patti began to put away the colder items in the kitchen that they noticed the note. Liz was the one who spotted it, and picked it up to read it as Patti watched. She let the words seep into her mind before she read them aloud.

"Missed you guys. Sorry."

There was a pause before Patti's laugh finally broke the silence.

"There will be a day when Kid actually comes home when he says he will," Patti began, her words slow and powerful. Liz rolled her eyes as Patti began to act out a scene. "There will be a day when that grim reaper enjoys the comforts of his friends and family without stress. But it is not this day. THIS DAY HE WORKS!"

Patti thrust her hands into the air as she yelled the last sentence. Not two seconds after finishing her speech, she ran out of the room, hands in the air, making only what Liz could describe as turkey gobbling noises. Liz rolled her eyes and walked over to the door Patti used as her exit.

"Get back here! Don't think this gets you off the hook for putting groceries away!"

Liz heard her words mix with the echoes of turkey gobbles throughout the house, but her smile from the incident soon faded away. The note was no different from any other note, yet it made her ache more than usual. The conversation she had with Patti made her realize that she also missed Kid more than usual lately. She missed his calm and steady attitude that sometimes balanced her own. She missed his cool and collected nature. She missed his voice, his smell, his touch. She even dared to say she missed his symmetry episodes. But she knew this busy nature of his wouldn't last. It was just a busy time for him; there was plenty that needed to be done at the DWMA, and Kid was the only one who could do many of the tasks the school required.

Still, even with her mind somewhat uneasy with thoughts of him, she tried not to let it affect her. After a minute or so of thinking, she went back into the kitchen to continue putting things away. She thought about the possibility of visiting him later that evening, and decided to make him a small snack just in case she decided to stop by that night.

* * *

Crona's apartment was small, but Maka always enjoyed the layout and narrow style of it the moment she stepped inside. Maka said it was pleasantly small, and even with very little surroundings, it was a comfortable living area.

The two entered the house slowly, being careful to watch the door as it closed. They entered into a small kitchen area, including only the essentials for cooking, and to the right of them was Crona's living room, equipped with a small television, some speakers that were a gift from Blackstar, a shelf for holding movies, and a couch. To the left of the living room were the stairs that lead to the second floor, which included a bathroom, a closet and Crona's bedroom.

As the two entered the house, a familiar creature came to greet them. A thin, short-haired, gray and white cat came eagerly up to the two of them, rubbing its body against their legs and greeting Crona with small meows and coos.

"Looks like Seasalt is happy to see you," Maka shot Crona a smile, before slowly leaning down to pet the happy feline.

"I am not surprised. I haven't been around much lately..." His words were almost distant as he too reached down to pet his animal.

Crona had attained the cat two years earlier at Stein's request. After some deep and troublesome sessions of talk therapy, Stein found that some of the roots of Crona's trauma's took place with cruelty to animals. Medusa liked to enforce violence by having Crona kill or maim any variety of living creatures, and these actions left Crona with heavy mental scarring. Stein found that it was not just about the psychological torment either; that for Crona, those acts of violence changed his view and actions towards fighting, violence, and even living creatures. The new environment of the DWMA and being surrounded by people who cared helped Crona immensely, but in some ways, the anguish and fear he felt with the care of animals still existed. Although he wasn't sure how it would work, Stein suggested Crona get a small animal that was good at reciprocating love, and not long after this talk, Crona and Maka visited a local animal shelter and picked out a kitten.

For the first several days, Crona was apprehensive and almost timid around the cat. But he quickly bonded with the tiny feline, and soon the two were almost inseparable. It took Maka months to convince Crona that it was possible for him to leave the cat alone for a day or two as long as it was fed and watered. Crona grew to love his pet, and Seasalt loved Crona just as much as he loved her. She was always eager to greet him, eager to please him, and often made attempts to sit on his lap or sleep on him if he was lying down. Through the cat's love and Crona's own love, Crona finally began to heal.

After some seconds of greeting and petting Seasalt, Crona and Maka settled into the house. Maka took her bags upstairs and came down into the living room area, finding Crona flipping through his music. Maka went to his side, eyeing the CDs from behind his shoulder.

"Music for the mood?" Maka said playfully, letting her hand slide up and down his back. He stiffened briefly before relaxing under her touch.

"Well, no... but-"

Before Crona could finish his sentence, Maka caught sight of a familiar CD, and quickly took it from his hands.

"Oh, I remember this. Can we put it in briefly? Just looking at it is making me remember our dance."

Crona thought for a moment before giving her a small nod. Maka then quickly popped the CD into the CD player.

The CD had only one song on it, "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. Many years earlier, during the earliest days of Crona's therapy with Stein, Stein suggested Crona take some kind of movement lessons to become more comfortable with his body. Crona previously had no fondness for his own body, and even now didn't find himself to have very many nice features. But after some convincing, and after Maka volunteered to take some private lessons with him so he wouldn't be as uncomfortable, Crona finally agreed. The class involved varies activities, including a small dance-like number to a song Crona and Maka had to pick from a list. After listening to all the styles and music, they both agreed that the song was a perfect style and speed for them both.

As the song began, the two stood facing each other, Maka smiling softly. Crona's brows furrowed for a moment.

"We are not going to do our dance... right? I … can't really remember much of it. I remember how to slow dance though."

Maka giggled a bit before taking his hands in hers. "Sure, we can slow dance."

Crona could feel a small anticipation building in his chest. He allowed his one hand to slide down Maka's side until it rested on her waist, and his other hand took her hand shakily in his own. Maka giggled a bit, getting comfortable in her stance as she did so. Before long, the two of them started the step and began to slowly sway to the rhythm of the music. After some minutes, Maka closed some of the space between them and their foreheads touched softly, their eyes closed and their movements now fluid and relaxed. Crona could occasionally feel the tip of Maka's soft belly touch his flat abdomen, which for the first couple times, caused him to tense. He was still somewhat uncomfortable when it came to the topic and thought of Maka's pregnancy, but he felt as though he was improving. Still, he knew that just improving how he thought about it wasn't enough, he needed to learn how to deal with it and in a positive way, as he and Soul had talked about. He was nervous, but he had an idea of what to do. He let his worried thoughts travel to the back of his mind, and allowed his body to speak for him.

As they neared the middle of the song, Crona let his hand on Maka's waist slide almost to her back. Slowly, gently, he pulled her close to him until their bodies were touching. He could feel her breath on his neck, her breasts just touching his chest, and her stomach against his slightly quivering abs. The action scared him, and he wasn't sure how Maka would react to his sudden change of pace. But he heard her almost giggle, and just opened his eyes enough to catch a glimpse of her warm glowing face. Her eyes were still shut, and her smile was even wider than before. She really was so beautiful.

Crona closed his eyes yet again, and just let himself live in the moment, sway to the music, and appreciate the touch of Maka's body on his own. As the song neared its end, Crona felt Maka close the little space between them with a kiss on his lips. It shocked him, a tingling sensation ran all through his body, yet he responded to her with a kiss of his own. He heard her give a happy sigh.

"I love you, Crona."

Those words hit Crona's heart with a wave of heat. But they always did that; they never got any less exciting or wonderful to hear. "I love you too."

* * *

END.

Yeah, lots of movie stuff in this fanfic. My friends and I often attend movies or have movie marathons, I just kinda picture many other friend groups doing the same. Especially since these guys live in a desert. Movie theaters are a great way to keep cool in summer heat. :)

More fluff and stuff to come. Feedback is a virtue.


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